On the ‘bandemic’ in the Northwest

A few years back, it was believed that people living simply in villages and other rural communities had peace of life. The scenery. The farms. The village squares. The bustling market days. The cultural activities. And lots more. But with rising insecurity across the country, much of that is now a thing of the past, as […]

A few years back, it was believed that people living simply in villages and other rural communities had peace of life.

The scenery. The farms. The village squares. The bustling market days. The cultural activities. And lots more. But with rising insecurity across the country, much of that is now a thing of the past, as villages are now known for death and destruction, particularly in the northwestern part of Nigeria.

From Sokoto to Katsina, from Zamfara to Kebbi, from Niger to Kaduna, the stories remain the same: Innocent poor villagers are being killed gruesomely while they sleep in their mud houses or while they tilt their farmlands.

Their livestock is also being stolen while their children and wives are being raped, killed, or kidnapped. As I’ve pointed earlier, forests in the northwest – like Sambisa before – have now become ones that also kill and destroy.

Particularly worrisome, even as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, paralyzing activities around the world – including armed conflicts, these psychopathic bandits have not shown any sign of letting up in their murderous activities.

They have instead continued their killing and maiming spree with increased intensity. Just a few days ago, dozens were massacred in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Despite the northwest being one of the most affected regions by COVID-19 in the country, in terms of lives and livelihoods, the havoc caused by these remorseless bandits surpasses that brought about by the highly infectious and sometimes deadly coronavirus.

It is as a result of this that many people have said the effects of the “bandemic” in the largely agrarian northwest by far outweighs that of the pandemic.

Although security agencies have commendably intensified operations in the region of recent, the northwest needs a long term solution to its banditry issues.

As many observers have noted, security operations only succeed in treating the symptoms of the conflicts without resolving them.

Thus, determining the root causes of the problem and their proper diagnosis will be the step forward to finding a long-term solution to the banditry terror ravaging the northwest.

With multiple security challenges, especially the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, no doubt security forces have been overstretched across the nation. However, that shouldn’t be an excuse to abandon the poor villagers in the northwest.

Those at the helm in government should remember that, as one of their responsibilities, they’ve sworn to protect the lives and property of citizens. And as such, they should know that devastated communities in the northwest need this protection now more than ever.

Lives and property cannot be allowed to be aimlessly lost within a few days or weeks to some deranged elements, who find killing other humans a thing of joy. It needs to be stopped now!

Labaran Yusuf, Jos, Plateau State  [email protected]