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EXCLUSIVE: Fulanis decry injustice in North West, seek end to violence in Zamfara as top bandits weigh surrender

EXCLUSIVE: Fulanis decry injustice in North West, seek end to violence in Zamfara as top bandits weigh surrender
By Zagazola Makama
In the heart of Zamfara’s conflict-weary forests, a growing chorus of Fulani herders and leaders is calling for an end to violence not with weapons, but through dialogue and justice. They say they are ready to embrace peace, if government addresses long-standing grievances that have festered into bloody confrontations.
For over a decade, northwestern Nigeria has been plagued by banditry, livestock rustling, mass abductions and retaliatory attacks that have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced. But in a rare show of willingness, Fulani stakeholders at a recent meeting in Gusau expressed readiness to renounce violence if treated with fairness.
The sensitisation forum, hosted on May 4 by the Commander of 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, brought together Fulani leaders under the aegis of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), alongside top security officials, including representatives of the State Director of Security and the Commissioner of Police.
Fulani leaders from all 14 local government areas of Zamfara attended the meeting, where they poured out their grievances — some dating back years — and appealed for genuine government intervention.
“We are not all bandits,” Fulani leaders insist
“I have lost over 150 cows to Yansakai, yet I have never carried a weapon or joined any group,” said Mallam Salisu Umar, a herder from Maru LGA. “But every time they see a Fulani man, they see a bandit. Is that fair? Is that justice?”
Another herder, Muhammadu Sale, alleged that just last Friday, vigilantes stole about 300 livestock belonging to a law-abiding Fulani man. “They never took the animals to the committee on recovery of livestock — they sold them in the market in connivance with some local security actors,” he said. “In Rijiya, Gusau LGA, another 370 livestock were stolen and diverted.”
The Yansakai vigilante groups, originally formed to protect communities, were accused of indiscriminate violence against Fulani settlements, burning homes, killing unarmed civilians, and rustling cattle under the guise of fighting banditry.
According to Mallam Haruna Dogo from Anka LGA, the situation has become so dire that Fulani children cannot attend schools in Hausa-dominated communities. “The hatred has grown so deep that our children are denied access to education and basic amenities. We are being cut off from society,” he lamented.
Several speakers at the forum said Fulani herders were being profiled, attacked, and even executed without trial. “In some cases, a Fulani youth is captured, beaten until he confesses to being a bandit, and then killed. If anyone dares retrieve his corpse, they are accused of being an accomplice,” said one leader.
Another Fulani elder said he had not travelled in a vehicle for four years out of fear, noting that the meeting in Gusau marked his first time stepping out in days. “Thousands of Fulani families are hiding in the bush, living in fear. Their only crime is being Fulani — and because of a few criminals among us, the whole society sees us as enemies.”
“Our cows are stolen, and security agencies look the other way”
One of the most serious allegations raised at the forum was the alleged collaboration between rogue security personnel and vigilante groups.
“They recover our cows and sell them,” alleged Alhaji Musa Bature from Tsafe. “We sometimes find the stolen animals in open markets. When we report to police, nothing is done. Security agents are benefitting from these crimes.”
He said this cycle of dispossession and injustice was pushing many Fulani youths into banditry.
“Even when we warn them, they say they have no choice. Food is scarce. A mudu of rice is nearly N10,000. Slippers cost N5,000 because of the risks traders face. This desperation leads them into evil acts like kidnapping.”
Umar Jega from Bakura LGA said his entire village was razed by Yansakai last year. “We lost everything. No one was held accountable. We are treated like people without rights.”
Many Fulani leaders at the forum blamed systemic injustice for driving youth into militancy.
Hope from within: top bandits open to surrender
In a potentially game-changing development, several notorious bandit leaders, including Saidu Naeka, Jimmi Smally and Kabiru Yankusa, have indicated willingness to surrender arms on the condition of safety and reintegration. Even Notorious bandits leaders like Bello Truji and Alhaji Nashama have were also part of those who agrees to key into the ongoing non-kinetic efforts.
There are some Fulanis who see the approach as a ploy to arrest them while others think it was politically motivated to manipulation manipulate them. Also, bandits kingpins like Ado Alero and Madele showed interest initially, by sending their representatives to attend the meeting.
“These men are tired,” said a source familiar with the dialogue. “They want peace, but they need assurance they won’t be killed or humiliated. Some of them have also lost loved ones in the cycle of violence.”
Sources said the bandit leaders had already begun patrolling parts of Sokoto Road to deter attacks. “Just last week, they eliminated two bandits who attempted to block the road.”
Following the meeting, more than 100 kidnap victims were released in separate operations in Moriki and Kango Forest. Some victims were handed over directly to the military, while others were rescued by vigilantes and handed over to troops. “We were told we were being released because their leaders now want peace,” said Rabiatu Halliru, one of the freed captives.
Another victim, who spent five months in captivity, said: “It was a miracle. We didn’t pay any ransom. They told us they had made a promise to release us and they kept it.”
The non-kinetic approach initially brought relative calm in the Anka general area, until when some hybrid forces brought in from the North East attacked and beheaded an innocent Fulani boy and cut off some part of his body, roasted it and eat it, that’s when tensions grew again. Another Fulani woman was killed by the Yansakai when she went to the Market, with the accusation that she was linked with bandits.
Fulani leaders propose roadmap to peace
To consolidate peace, Fulani leaders proposed a number of initiatives, including: disbanding or properly regulating the Yansakai vigilantes who were neither employed or recognized by the government. They also want government to reconsider reopening of their cattle markets and herders’ movement corridors.
The Fulani elder also demanded that they want schools, boreholes, and health centres to be constructed in Fulani communities, while insisting on equal treatment of offenders, regardless of ethnicity because they said there are two types of banditry, the one perpetrated by the criminal bandits amongst them and the one perpetrated by Yansakai along with some rogue security personnel.
They proposed direct engagement between MACBAN and bandit leaders to facilitate further releases and end attacks on farmers, nothing that If such opportunity is wasted, more lives will be lost,” warned Mallam Abubakar Sani from Zurmi.
“We are tired. Our children are tired. Let this be the beginning of the end.”he said.
Alhaji Bello Maiturare, MACBAN Chairman in Zamfara, pledged to lead the dialogue with bandits. “We’ve spoken to some of them. They are listening because of this meeting. If the government keeps its word, we will bring more people out of the bush.”
“Most bandits are not sincere” – Theatre Commander
However, the Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YANMA, Maj.-Gen. Oluyinka Soyele, expressed caution.
“Most of the bandits are not sincere. Even after promising to stop attacks, they continue killing and kidnapping people,” he said.
Soyele reiterated that Governor Dauda Lawal and the Government, through the Operation Safe Corridor initiative, had consistently said that only genuinely repentant bandits who renounce violence would be accepted.
“If they are serious and send emissaries to declare their readiness to stop, why not? We are not happy fighting our own people whether Hausa or Fulani , they are Nigerians.”
“But let me tell you what usually happens: when they feel the heat from military operations, they offer to surrender. Once the pressure eases, they regroup, rearm and return to terrorism.”
On the issue of Yansakai, Soyele said: “No one owns up to forming it, but everyone agrees it was created by the Hausa community to protect themselves from cattle rustling. If attacks stop from one side, we can contain the other. But the key is sincerity.”
“Even today, they attacked Maru. We still hear of pockets of attacks here and there by Dan Sadiya. So where is the sincerity?” the Theatre Commander Insist.
Special Appeal to the Defence Headquarters, National Security Adviser, National Counter Terrorism Centre, and DSS: A Call for a Unified, Sustainable Approach to Ending Banditry and Restoring Peace in the North West
However, Zagazola Makama, noted that as Nigeria marks over 15 years of protracted violence and insecurity in the North West, it is time to acknowledge a hard but essential truth: the military alone cannot end banditry.
“What we face is no longer a purely kinetic conflict; it is a complex socio-security crisis that demands a whole-of-society approach, one that combines force with dialogue, justice with reconciliation, and tactical operations with strategic engagement.
“We commend the Defence Headquarters and the intelligence community for the consistent pressure mounted on bandits across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Niger States. We also acknowledge the courageous efforts of security forces on the frontline.
However, it is time to complement those military operations with non-kinetic solutions that address the root causes of the violence, as recently demonstrated in Katsina, Kaduna, and Benue States, where targeted engagement with bandit leaders and conflict stakeholders has begun to yield positive results.
“Let us be candid: the pattern of violence across the North West, North Central, and even parts of the North East suggests that the same networks of armed bandits are interlinked from Zamfara and Katsina to Benue, Plateau, and Taraba.
Their grievances of the Fulani people are strikingly similar ranging from extrajudicial killings by vigilantes (Yan Sakai), loss of livelihoods, lack of inclusion in governance, to ethnic profiling. While these do not justify actions of some criminals amongst them, they point to the urgent need for political, social, and security reintegration mechanisms.
A tragic illustration of this is the recent escalation in Birnin Magaji LGA, Zamfara State, where 25 communities have been banned from accessing their farmlands by a notorious kingpin, Alhaji Nashama. According to local sources, Nashama had earlier promised to protect these communities from rival bandit groups. However, following the alleged killing of two of his relatives, Babuga and Usman whom he claimed were innocent by Yan Sakai operatives, he imposed a violent embargo on farming activities in the area, vowing to kill anyone seen in the fields.
This is not an isolated case. It reflects the fragile trust deficit between rural communities, vigilantes, and armed groups, and point to why pure military responses cannot sustainably resolve this crisis. If we are to prevent further reprisals and displacements, we must take bold steps to re-establish dialogue channels, backed by the intelligence and verification strength of the DSS, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and community leaders.
We therefore urge the Federal Government to seize this opportunity to chart a new strategy for lasting peace in the Country. The success of community dialogue efforts in places like Katsina and Kaduna, proves that where there is political will and strategic coordination, peace is possible. The time has come to act not just with force, but with foresight.
Nigeria deserves peace. The people of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Benue, and Plateau deserve to farm, trade, and live without fear. Let us give peace a chance decisively and deliberately.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region
EXCLUSIVE: Fulanis decry injustice in North West, seek end to violence in Zamfara as top bandits weigh surrender
News
Tipper truck kills several traders in Jalingo market crash

Tipper truck kills several traders in Jalingo market crash
By: Zagazola Makama
A tragic road accident occurred on Saturday at the popular Mile 6 Market in Jalingo, Taraba State, when a tipper truck loaded with shaft sand lost control and rammed into a crowd of traders and shoppers.

Zagazola learnt the incident, which happened around midday, resulted in multiple fatalities and left several others injured. The exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed as emergency responders continue rescue operations and assessment of the scene.

Sourcessaid the truck was speeding when one of its front tyres suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle veered into the busy market area, knocking down people and structures along its path.

“It happened so fast,” said Musa Ibrahim, a local vendor. “The truck was on speed and after the tyre burst, the driver couldn’t control it. It just rammed into the crowd.”
Security operatives and medical personnel arrived swiftly at the scene to evacuate the injured to nearby hospitals. The body of the deceased has also been recovered, while efforts are ongoing to identify victims and notify their families.

The driver of the truck has been apprehended and is currently in custody as investigations continue into the cause of the crash.
End
Crime
Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports

Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
…72-year-old Grandma, Beninese, Ithers Nabbed in NDLEA Raids in Delta, Kwara, Lagos
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former football player Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport last Tuesday, when his carry-on bag was searched, 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grammes were seen to be concealed therein.

Babafemi said investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.
He said further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin was said to have claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.
Another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.
He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.

Babafemi said Okoro, who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria, claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would have taken a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilogrammes and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.05 kilogrammes.
He revealed that the 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.
He noted that another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage. The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.

The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250 kilogrammes, the
suspect who is a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.
NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos last Tuesday intercepted a 26-year-old Beninese Vode Jean-Luck while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5 kilogrammes from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
In Kwara state, a notorious drug dealer Mary Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi) was arrested last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun local government area of the state where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.
Babafemi said a 72-year-old grandma Mrs. Christy Ejaro was last Tuesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state, with several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size recovered from her.
The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
News
Armed bandits abduct resident in Bature Daji, in Niger narrowly miss vigilante target

Armed bandits abduct resident in Bature Daji, in Niger narrowly miss vigilante target
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits in large numbers stormed Bature Daji community in Niger in the early hours of Saturday, abducting a resident while narrowly missing their original target, a local vigilante member.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. when the attackers invaded the residence of one Dani, a known vigilante operative in the area. He was reportedly the primary target of the assault but managed to escape.
However, the gunmen kidnapped one Attahiru Ibrahim, popularly known as Sarki Daji, from the same neighborhood and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
Local sources revealed that the assailants later moved toward Gorogawu Village, a border community near the Republic of Benin, raising concerns of cross-border movement and security challenges.
A joint team of security forces, including military and other operatives, has launched a pursuit operation to rescue the victim and apprehend the attackers.
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