Disquiet over resurgence of bandits, kidnappers along Kaduna-Abuja highway

Just when the nation was trying to ease a sigh of relief over the incessant bandits’ attacks on the notorious Abuja-Kaduna highway, the monstrous elements began to strike hard again.

Between January 4 and January 7, 2024, no fewer than 85 persons, comprising both travellers and residents, were said to have been abducted by terrorists at Katari along the Kaduna–Abuja highways near Katari, in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

It was also gathered that more than four residents were killed by the hoodlums.

The breakdown of those abducted by the bloodthirsty terrorists indicated that a total of 85 persons were abducted.

But the Kaduna State Police Command denied reports of the abduction of passengers by bandits along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mansir Hassan, clarified that there was a heavy gun duel between security operatives and bandits.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Army has registered its presence in no fewer than 30 states of the federation, to complement the efforts of men of the Nigeria Police, which is already saddled with the constitutional role of maintaining law and order in the country.

It has thus become very clear that the weight and extent of the nation’s security challenge has become onerous.

The citizens are, therefore, becoming more worried, asking pertinent questions such as where to head as a nation moves to tackle this hydra-headed monster of terrorism and banditry that has made life difficult for all.

They are also asking questions about what the Nigeria Police is doing, and rightly so, to stem the spate of uprisings in the activities of the hoodlums threatening the peace of the nation.

*Action points

A security expert who sought anonymity has called for the strategic deployment of political will in tackling insecurity across the nation, instead of making excuses.

Following recent attacks in some parts of the country, a retired Deputy Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Abel Aliemeke, has suggested ways to tackle the menace and scourge of banditry and terrorism in the country.

In a contribution on how best ways to permanently put an end to this spate or ogre of anguish that trails whenever the daredevil hoodlums strike, Aliemeke said that it has become @a terrible thing that the government is sleeping and it should not be so.”

*Employ the use of kinetic, non-kinetic approach

Essentially, he said, tackling terrorism in any country requires political will on the part of the government, as well as Kinetic and Non-Kinetic approaches.

According to him, the kinetic approach encompasses all offensive counter-terrorism operations usually conducted against identified terrorists by the armed forces and other relevant security and intelligence agencies.
In Aliemeke’s words, “The President must make the right decisions and give unambiguous orders to the armed forces and other relevant security and intelligence agencies to conduct counter-terrorism operations against identified terrorists to degrade, capture, neutralise and exterminate them.

‘’Government must deliberately provide adequate resources, particularly funding for recurrent expenditure in respect of prompt payment of attractive salaries and allowances to security personnel’ recruitment and training of additional manpower, as well as the retraining of serving personnel, procurement, and acquisition of modern and cutting edge technology and equipment.

“Above all, the government must win the hearts and minds of the populace so that they can bolster acts of counter-terrorism through the provision of reliable and actionable intelligence to security agencies.

‘’This is usually achieved through the provision of credible leadership and dividends of democracy such as adequate security to protect lives and properties, provision of motorable roads, electricity, potable water, healthcare, education, and employment, among others.

To this end, it must be unequivocally stated that the government must have the political will to act to defend its citizens and preserve the territorial integrity of the country.

*Improve the condition of service for the police officers

The security operatives also added that “As the lead security agencies in the maintenance of law and order in the country, it has been discovered that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is bedevilled by very serious challenges such as inadequate and poorly-trained officers and men, nepotism, crippling corruption, poor remuneration, low morale, tribalism, religious bigotry, inadequate manpower, and inadequate and obsolete equipment.

“These issues must be addressed through deliberate policies and necessary funding to boost the capacity of the police to be able to deal decisively with all threats to internal security.

‘’The police must also rebuild its image which has eroded the trust and confidence of the populace as it has been engaging in monumental corruption, torture and gross human rights violations, in its engagement with the citizens,” he stated.

A lawyer urges the government to tackle banditry and terrorism from the root, and not depend on resorting to palliative measures.

Despite previous efforts by the government to rid the nation of banditry and terrorism before its recent resurgence, a public affairs analyst, lawyer, and pastor, Paul Adoiza Omoluabi, appealed to the President Tinubu-led Federal Government to sit up and address the disturbing dimensions of insecurity has assumed in the country.

Omoluabi, who was responding to inquiries from ThisNigeria, noted that the banditry and terrorism, which had almost become a recurring challenge should be tackled from the roots instead of deploying palliative measures that will not address the issues.

He said, “It is indeed alarming that for many years now, the Federal Government is finding it difficult to reduce and check the level of insecurity in the country.  For those who have keenly followed how the level of insecurity has unfolded and degenerated.

The legal practitioner admitted there are several factors to be considered if the government wants to get it right, both long and short-term measures must be put in place.

He further said, “It is pertinent for the government to understand the root causes of insecurity. Do we have any feedback from the suspects they arrested and interviewed before now, and how well do they process this feedback for intelligence purposes?’’

He said, “These atrocities occurred in different communities in Nigeria. The government needs to invest in community initiatives, the synergy between the community and police intelligence should be considered and incorporated into the policing strategies, and in doing this the security infrastructure must be enhanced, he noted

Members of the Ayer Community, he added, ‘’should be engraved in payroll and engaged to assist the police in unravelling the challenges.

‘’The long-term measures are numerous, the government must improve education, and job opportunities for the youths and establish effective conflict resolution strategies. The prosecution processes are frustrating, and it does not reflect any form of deterrence on these criminals.

“The entire member of the community should be encouraged to enhance intelligence services.
‘’Some measures of pay and award should be given to those who can give valuable information about any criminal acts; whoever can escalate to the appropriate quarters of any criminal act that is about to be carried out should be quietly rewarded and encouraged.@

He also suggested, “Generally, the community is a dynamic environment in which insecurity will continue to grow in leaps, but the government must be ahead of any evil strategy.

‘’It is important that the Nigerian government should genuinely take steps to know the approximate numbers of Nigerians. We need figures to plan with which we cannot continue to roll out budgets every year without having tangible figures for youths, adults, and children.

‘’We must be sincere to ourselves, policing is a serious business, and we can only plan if we know the number of people who are expected to protect.

“Again, the fingerprint mechanism should be a long-term project to be implemented, and the borders must be given adequate security if indeed the government knows all the borders in the country.

Similarly, a businessman and a PhD student at the Lagos State University, Mr Ndubisi Elowo, urged the Federal Government to show capacity and demonstrate a strong political will to curtail the activities of these criminal elements tormenting innocent citizens across the country.