Emir allegedly admits traditional rulers are informants to terrorists
…Says Kidnappers From Mali, Burkina Faso, Others Operating In Nigeria
…Military Say Local Collaborators, Informants Frustrating Operations
Story/Picture: Independent
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The unpatriotic activities of some citizens, particularly those living in areas ravaged by terrorism and banditry in the country’s north, are blamed for the escalation of banditry in the northwestern geopolitical zone.
This is despite the military and other security agencies’ unwavering efforts to mitigate the threats posed by these criminals to food security, social economic activities, and the safety of people and property.
Local authorities and military sources confirm that the bandits and terrorists are foreigners of Fulani ethnicity who usually enter the country through Nigeria’s unmanned borders to commit heinous crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, violent extremism, and banditry.
This comes as military intelligence sources and other stakeholders, including local government authorities and traditional rulers, claim that the threats and noxious activities of local collaborators and informants within the affected communities are impeding the decisive and precise military operation against bandits in the areas in question.
Residents of Bungudu Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara state have allegedly accused the Emir of Kwatarkwashi, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Garba Ahmad Bunu, of having “suspicious relationships with bandits kingpins” as troops attached to Operation Hadarin Daji in the North West geopolitical zone continue to wage war against bandits and terrorists operating in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and the neighbouring Niger Republic.
He was also accused of “keeping weapons for the bandits,” which they usually come for in the early hours of the night in exchange for his share of the ransom collected from kidnapped victims.
According to sources within the community who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case, Alhaji Bunu was appointed Emir by the then-Governor of Zamfara State, now the Minister of State Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle on June 14, 2022, only three days after the death of the then-emir on June 9, 2022, at the age of 94 years after a prolonged illness, after spending 61 years on the throne.
“The current Emir, Alhaji Garba Ahmad Bunu, has had a suspicious relationship with the bandits’ kingpins. He was said to have been in a relationship with notorious bandit gang leader Buharin Daji before being killed by an NAF air strike in late 2022.
“He also had a relationship with another notorious bandit gang leader, Dogo Gide, who was also recently killed by NAF air strikes in March of 2024. The Emir has also had a relationship with notorious bandit gang leader Ado Aleiro, who operates and controls Birnin Magaji LGA and Kauran Namoda LGA, two of the four LGAs in Zamfara State that are the epicentres of banditry.
“The other two LGAs, Zurmi and Shinkafi, are controlled by Bello Turji, a notorious bandit gang leader. The Emir of Kwatarkwashi granted Ado Aleiro, the bandit kingpin, a traditional title in his emirate, causing community unrest and disturbance.
“Maibiredi TV in Gasau conducted a one-on-one interview with the bandit leader and discussed the issues surrounding it.”
Locals were also said to have nearly burned down his house if security forces had not intervened due to his suspicious relationship with bandit leaders. It is worth noting that “all the locals know him as a bandit collaborator.”
While answering questions from Defence Correspondents led by Deputy Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO) Brigadier General Muhammad Dahiru Abumawashi at his palace, Alhaji Bunu admitted that “there are informants who sabotage the efforts of government and security agencies.”
He stated, “We have them in communities, some traditional rulers are informants, and there are bad eggs in security agencies. When we talk about informants, we do not just mean members of communities.
“Recently, some traditional rulers were arrested for working with bandits. Some were motivated by greed, while others had no choice because their communities had been overrun by bandits.
The Emir also stated that “no place in his community is occupied by bandits,” even though they share a border with communities being terrorised by bandits.
While explaining how he manages to live peacefully in his palace surrounded by hostile neighbouring communities, Alhaji Bunu stated, “I have told my people, including women, to defend themselves against the bandits.”
“We believe that one only dies once. When our community is under attack, we do everything we can to defend ourselves before the military arrives.
On how to end banditry in the North, the Emir stated, “There must be equality. The political class has denied Nigerians, particularly the poor, access to necessities. Some politicians without university degrees earn significantly more than graduates, as do soldiers who sacrifice their comfort for the sake of the country.
“The country’s resources are unevenly distributed among its citizens. The divide between the political class and ordinary citizens is too wide. The challenge of insecurity in Zamfara State and northern Nigeria is primarily caused by a disagreement between Fulanis and Hausas over cattle rearing, but the situation has deteriorated over time due to the presence of gold and other mineral resources.
“Also, foreigners with selfish interests are involved. They bring in arms to give to our people. While we are busy killing ourselves, they are taking advantage of our resources. The truth is that foreign collaborators play a role in North Korean security.
“If others hesitate to tell the truth, I will not. Our people and other Nigerians have been killed. The number of armed Fulanis grows as security agencies kill them. Today, the military and other security agencies will pursue and kill them; tomorrow, another group will arrive and attack our citizens
They come from Mali, Burkina Faso, and other places to kill our people and loot our resources. If we want to put an end to the insecurity that plagues our country, everyone has a role to play. The federal, state, and local governments must work together to identify the root causes of insecurity and develop a comprehensive solution to the security challenges.
“The government must use maximum force against the perpetrators to demonstrate that it is in control. Over the years, our military has made us proud by serving in foreign countries. Our country’s security challenges are not beyond their capabilities.
“The government at all levels must demonstrate political will and support the military and other security agencies to crush bandits and terrorists.” The federal government must provide the military with adequate weapons and improve their welfare.
“When terrorists collect ransoms from kidnapped victims, they use the money to purchase weapons. How are the weapons delivered? Everyone, from the top down, is to blame.
“Politics is another reason that insecurity has persisted. If a governor proposes an initiative to address insecurity, the opposing political party will not support him. If we are to address the threat of insecurity, the political class must put aside their differences and become patriotic.
“The media and human rights organisations must prioritise national interests in their reporting and analysis of military operations. When the military mistakenly kills two civilians, you call it a hundred.
“We see what is happening in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. There are numerous human rights violations, but the United States of America and the human rights community remain silent; if it were Nigeria, all hell would break loose.”
Alhaji Shehu Isah, the Secretary to Goronyo LGA, confirmed that 80% of the bandits are not Nigerians.
He stated, “Those bandits are not Nigerians. If you speak with people in the southern part of the country, they always point fingers at Fulani people, and the majority of people here are Fulanis; these bandits we are talking about are not indigenous to this country. The majority, or 80%, of these bandits are not Nigerians.
“When they arrived in the country, the situation was very unfortunate, but you should keep in mind that when someone is in deep poverty, they lose control, and when someone is hungry, they lose control as well.
“These bandits come from other countries and enter this country because we are rich and they are poor, but when they come to Nigeria and believe that if they do this, they will get that, and that was the beginning of banditry; they began by taking you away to the forest, and even if they leave you, you will be unable to return to your home village.
“From there, they began employing young boys who are unaware of what is known as banditry; they only receive information from them, and when they receive information that a particular person is very wealthy, they are unaware that a civil servant cannot refer to himself as a wealthy man while holding a position.
Those young men, as I previously stated, are not indigenous to this country; they come on purpose to take what we have. In the process of taking what we have, they use this tactic: when they catch you, they run into the bush with you and ask you to speak with your relative.
“We are raising awareness among our young people, both male and female, that if they see a strange face in the village, they should report it to the village head, which is precisely what we are doing.”
Violent extremists/insurgents are primarily local Fulani and Hausa outlaws who dominate the industry. There are also active participants from neighbouring countries, as well as criminal networks in the Niger Republic. It is difficult to estimate the strength of the armed violent extremists/insurgents operating in the theatre because some of these criminals live as normal citizens in some communities, particularly in the Tsafe general area, and commit repeated crimes along the Gusau-Funtua road despite ongoing clearance operations.
There are also large insurgent gangs that live and operate out of established camps in the hills and forests. They are usually mobile and run makeshift camps that can be quickly dismantled once a location is compromised.
Insurgent groups maintain an intricate network of informants and collaborators in most communities and local governments, making successful military operations difficult because they abandon their camps before the arrival of troops.
It is well known that violent extremists and insurgents operate primarily at night to avoid detection. The sector has continued to use ambushes to yield results along the bandits’ routes. This emphasises the importance of making night fighting equipment available to troops, such as thermal imagers and night vision goggles, to achieve significant results.
The violent extremists/insurgents are armed with AK 47 rifles, machine guns, RPGs, sniper rifles, and locally made pistols and guns. There is also evidence that some bandit camps are defended with IEDs.
Recently, it has been reported that bandits’ commanders used a few Hilux vehicles to move some of their men.
These weapons are sourced from local arms runners/traffickers as well as illegal arms trafficked across the country’s international borders, particularly the Nigeria/Republic of Niger border
Jfworld 