News
The Banditry Menace in the North West: Challenges, Kingpins, and the Way Forward
The Banditry Menace in the North West: Challenges, Kingpins, and the Way Forward
By: Zagazola Makama
Banditry has become a persistent and deadly problem in the North West and North Central regions of Nigeria. Unlike the insurgency in the North East, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) operate based on an ideological drive, the violence in the North West is mainly criminal in nature. This criminality, often referred to as “BARAYIN JEJI” (forest bandits), has terrorized local communities through raids, cattle rustling, kidnappings for ransom, killings, and the imposition of illegal levies on farming communities.
Despite ongoing military operations by the Nigerian Security Forces, bandits continue to engage in these sinister activities, creating a seemingly unending cycle of violence and terror in the region. Military campaigns, including Operation Hadarin Daji and other special operations led by the Defence Headquarters’ Joint Task Force (JTF) and ad-hoc military formations such as the 1st, 3rd, and 8th Divisions, have made significant progress. Hundreds of bandits, including top kingpins, have been neutralized in the past year. Yet, banditry continues to plague the region, as new criminal leaders quickly rise to replace those who are taken down.
Notable Kingpins Neutralized
In the last twelve months, the Nigerian military, in collaboration with local militias and security forces, has killed several high-profile bandit leaders, including Kachalla Ali Kawaje, the mastermind behind the abduction of students from Federal University Gusau.
Others include; Kachalla Jafaru, Kachalla Barume, Kachalla Shehu, Tsoho, Kachalla Yellow Mai Buhu, Yellow Sirajo, Kachalla Dan Muhammadu, Kachalla Makasko, Sanda, Abdulbasiru Ibrahim, Mai Wagumbe, Kachalla Begu, Kwalfa, Ma’aikaci, Yellow Hassan, Umaru Na Bugala, Isyaka Gwarnon Daji, Iliya Babban Kashi, Auta Dan Mai Jan Ido, and Yahaya Dan Shama.
Those that were recently nutrialised include; Kacalla Ɗan Baleri, Kacalla Dogo Kwaɗɗi, Lawalli Dodo, Kacalla Naguru, Kacalla Ɗan-Babirki, Kacalla Hana-Zuwa, Kacalla Adamu and the most recently was Kachallah Buzu aka Sububu.
One of the most recent and high-profile deaths was that of Kachalla Buzu, also known as Sububu, a notorious bandit leader. This success, attributed to the intensified efforts of Operation Hadarin Daji in collaboration with Zamfara State’s government-backed militia, has sent ripples through the criminal underworld.
However, despite these victories, the fight is far from over as the bandits continued to engage in hit and run as well as pockets of attacks in vulnerable communities. Rivalries and power struggles between bandit groups have further complicated the situation, leading to violent clashes between factions. For example, since April 2024, a violent feud has broken out between bandit leaders Sani Dangote and Dankarami (also known as Gwaska), leading to the deaths of dozens of bandits. These internal struggles for dominance among the criminal factions, though deadly, only serve to destabilize the region further.
The Rising Threat of Gwaska Dankarami
Gwaska Dankarami, who has emerged as one of the most dangerous and influential bandit leaders in the North West, is currently at the center of the power struggle. His recent attacks on rival bandit factions, including the killing of Sani Dangote’s associates, have positioned him as a major threat not only to the bandits themselves but also to security forces and local communities. Dankarami’s growing power highlights a disturbing reality: as long as one bandit leader is killed, another, often more dangerous, will rise to take their place.
The Turji Question
For many Nigerians, the hope is that the death of Bello Turji, one of the most infamous bandit leaders, would be the turning point in the fight against banditry. Turji’s terror campaign has left a trail of destruction and anguish across the North West, and his demise would undoubtedly bring relief to the families of his many victims.
However, experts warn that the killing of Bello Turji would not mark the end of banditry in the region. There are other bandit leaders, such as Alhaji Shingi, Alhaji Nashama, Ado Allero, Dogo Gide, and Dankarami, who are just as dangerous, if not more so. While Turji’s approach is driven by youthful aggression, older bandits like Nashama command respect and loyalty from other bandit factions, making them even harder to defeat.
Beyond Military Solutions: A Multi-Dimensional Approach
Ending banditry in the North West requires more than just military operations. Although the military has achieved significant victories, their efforts only address a portion of the problem. Banditry is deeply rooted in socio-economic issues such as illiteracy, poverty, and poor governance. The government must address these root causes if there is to be any lasting solution to the conflict.
The Nigerian government has made some efforts to engage local communities in the fight against banditry, notably through initiatives such as the Zamfara State Security Watch, which involves local youth in community security efforts. While this has yielded some positive results, more needs to be done. Authorities must adopt a deliberate and targeted approach, going after the key sponsors of banditry, who operate behind the scenes, often involved in illegal mining and other illicit activities. These sponsors are the true drivers of the conflict, using bandits as pawns to achieve their broader criminal objectives.
The government must also invest in long-term solutions such as education, job creation, and poverty alleviation. These efforts would help to prevent young people from being drawn into banditry in the first place. Furthermore, there must be a political will to tackle corruption and impunity, ensuring that those who support or profit from banditry are brought to justice.
Conclusion
While the military has made significant strides in combating banditry in the North West, the problem remains far from solved. As long as socio-economic issues persist and criminal sponsors continue to operate with impunity, banditry will remain a serious threat to the region’s stability. A multi-dimensional approach, combining military action with governance reforms, community engagement, and economic development, is the only way to ensure long-term peace and security in the North West.
The Banditry Menace in the North West: Challenges, Kingpins, and the Way Forward
UMTH: Orchard, for the Benefits of Patients’ Healing
By: Balami Lazarus
Hospitals are considered universally to be the most serene environment where patients are expected to have the best healthcare services and attention and also to be provided with quality medical treatment and care through their doctors and caregivers, aided by other health workers, to enable the sick ones to recuperate, feel better, and get well. How can our hospitals achieve this?
However, this can be achieved not only by discharging their primary objectives through the provision of medical treatments but also in some other related friendly environmental health windows.
When the NEWSng team took a post-flood visit to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) recently to assess some projects like the one and only Interventional Radiology Centre (IRC) in Nigeria and the Stroke Centre (SC), among other few ongoing projects that are not peculiar to most hospitals in Nigeria.
Farms are of different types, but the one in question herein is an orchard, a special kind of farm. Orchards have never been part of the hospital environment, while gardens and parks are a common sight in our hospitals. Therefore, UMTH, under the able good leadership of Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, decided to make yet another landmark by establishing a large orchard within the hospital premises in Maiduguri.
Why an orchard in UMTH? Speaking to the CMD, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo on the Orchard project, he happily said, “The Orchard is meant to provide a conducive environmental atmosphere/space for patients, their relatives, visitors, staff, and students to have contact with and the feel of the natural environment provided by the Orchard.” He further emphasized by saying that “patients will have a natural environment for them to relax, which will help in their healing processes.” He informed NEWSng that it is also meant to provide sources of fresh fruits for the patients and members of the hospital community at affordable prices. “The Orchard is not only established to provide leisure/relaxation, but its products—fruits—are going to be sold to assist in maintaining the facilities of the orchard.”
In the course of our reports, NEWSng spoke to Mr. Abubakar Sadiq Dawule, officer in charge of the orchard, who took us round. The Orchard is 1.75 hectares of land totaling 26 plots that are 25 meters in size. Abubakar Dawule said that each plot is planted with a single variety of economic tree that bears quality fruits. All the plots are planted with single different varieties of economic trees like cashew, custard apple tree , mango , orange, banana, guava, mango apple, pawpaw, date trees, tangerine, berries of different kinds, watermelon, and other varieties of economic trees/plants.”
Sadiq further informed NEWSng that the aims of the orchard are “to create a green area of plantation that will provide economic trees for the production of fruits.” He also said that is to help reduce global warming and provide protection for the hospital’s environmental beauty. “To have natural environment space for nutritional benefits of patients to improve their healing.
UMTH Orchard has standard functional facilities like a water fountain, a set of concrete backrest seats in each plot, and an office block consisting of shops, stores, and restrooms. The orchard is beautifully designed with paved walkways to each plot and free flow of water to all the plots. It is fenced with one main entrance. These efforts are carried out by an 18-man workforce, including security operatives, to secure the orchard.
Interestingly, the UMTH Orchard was sponsored by a well-meaning Nigerian Hon. Abdulmalik Zubairu Bungudu (Zanna Bungudu), a member of the National Assembly—House of Representatives representing the Bungudu/Maru Federal constituency of Zamfara State, with the sum of 20 million Naira.
Challenges faced by the Orchard, according to Abubakar Sadiq Dawule, are the need for additional borehole walkways and lights and more fertilizer/manure.
Garden scissors, an axe, a cutlass, and watering cans, among other handy tools, “are necessary for the maintenance of the orchard.”
UMTH: Orchard, for the Benefits of Patients’ Healing
Five Children Injured in IED Explosion in Mafa LGA, Borno State
By: Zagazola Makama
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State on May 8, 2025, left five children injured, one of whom lost a hand.
Zagazola Makama understands that the explosion occurred around 1425hrs when the children unknowingly tampered with IED devices, hidden in block holes near a culvert on the access road to the ongoing construction site at the New Mafa Central Mosque.
The victims, four males and one female, were identified as Abdullahi Umar, Musa Mele, Fatima Abatcha, Abba Kawu Muhammed, and Khalid Alhaji Bukar, all of Mafa town. The blast caused varying degrees of injuries, with one of the boys losing his hand.
Following the incident, a combined team from the Explosive Ordinance Disposal-Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit, police from Mafa Division, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) responded. The scene was cordoned off, and secondary devices were searched for, with pieces of can tins used as improvised containers for the IED found and professionally detonated.
Four of the victims were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment, while one victim with minor injuries was treated and discharged at Mafa General Hospital.
In response to the attack, the EOD-CBRN team conducted Explosive Ordinance Risk Education (EORE) for children and community members in Mafa.
Five Children Injured in IED Explosion in Mafa LGA, Borno State
FCT Police arrest two notorious armed robbers in Kurudu
By: Zagazola Makama
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested two notorious armed robbery suspects terrorising Kurudu and its environs.
The suspects, identified as Hassan Adamu and Auwal Mohammed, both aged 25, were arrested on May 8 at about 2:00 p.m. during a targeted raid by operatives of the Scorpion Squad.
Police sources said that the suspects were linked to multiple violent robbery incidents in the area.
“One of the suspects confessed to a specific robbery at Angwan Hausawa, Kurudu, where a male victim, identified as Mohammed, was stabbed and later died from the injuries sustained during the attack.
Acting on credible intelligence, police operatives stormed a criminal hideout in Kurudu where the suspects were apprehended. A sharp dagger, reportedly intended for use against police operatives, was recovered during the search.
The suspects also revealed the identities of other members of their gang who remain at large and are believed to be armed.
The police sources said a manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and recover additional weapons.
FCT Police arrest two notorious armed robbers in Kurudu
UMTH: Orchard, for the Benefits of Patients’ Healing
FG Flags Off Inaugural Airlift Of Pilgrims For 2025 Hajj In Imo State
Five Children Injured in IED Explosion in Mafa LGA, Borno State
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions3 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns1 year agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS1 year agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions1 year agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Politics9 months agoKashim Shettima: Of Sentiments, Their Opinions, and the 21 billion Naira VP’s Official Resident
