•Major Bashir Galma (retd)
In this interview, a security expert and retired Major, Bashir Galma highlights the reasons behind the escalation of banditry in Katsina State. The retired Major, who described the issue as political, also proffered solutions, reports Weekend Trust.
Excerpts:
What are the factors responsible for escalation of banditry in Kasina?
From my understanding, the word “escalation”, which you used, is when there is something that has reduced and later intensifies. The banditry problem around the north western part of the country was from that general area, especially the elected ones representing the people, and those battling to replace them. Once the competition amongst them continues, there is hardly going to be a reduction in this phenomenon of banditry in this general area, because, if you look at it, all these bandits are people generally known in their constituencies. They did not come from trees.
They are people, even not born there, they have friends there, and because we are talking of Katsina area now, you will discover that only very few of them, out of five, maybe two come from far states or contiguous states with Katsina. They join the bad groups on invitation, to continue perpetuating this havoc which they now discover is very lucrative.
Now, we ask, these people involved in banditry, why was it not there before? They were preoccupied before, they had jobs, they had something to do. Some of them are husbands, they have cows, and most of them are farmers, butchers, etc.
Now, they came to taste, not having to do all those jobs. I mentioned earlier, they are experiencing something much sweeter than hard work. That is what they get from this banditry. If they aggregate, they will find that in so many years, one swoop of ransom receipts will be more than a year, or many years of farming, butchering, herding, or something like that.
At the end of the day, they turn it to be a sort of job. But they have some assistants, informants that get crumbs from the heinous job.
Are you saying that banditry is a business?
I want people to understand also that these people we think are bandits in the bush have people more educated than themselves, who manage their affairs. From telling them what to do and how to go about it.
We have so many dismissed service personnel. Some of them are also from that area doing nothing. They have no means of getting a job. We have so many bad chaps still in the security service (security men), who are ready to pilfer what has been given to them for national security. I am talking about arms and ammunition. How many times have women been caught, going towards Katsina with some ammunition? From the middle of the country, they are going up towards the border. So, it means, these ammunition are procured and gotten anywhere, same thing with the weapons.
Some of them were seized from service personnel, some of them are gotten. We will not forget what happened in Libya, and all the wars being fought in the Central African Republic and all around us.
If you have weapons and don’t have ammunition to fire, what are you going to do with the weapons? They interject and bring this type of person. There are managers, logistics suppliers. When I say logistics, I mean ammunition, fuel, because these people operate on motorcycles which have to be serviced, especially their tyres. When they go cross-country, their tyres quickly get worn out. Who supplies all this logistics? It is people in the cities.
These are the people who supply them logistics, ammunition and others, and who even think for them.
They have informants near them and in the cities. And then the politicians themselves, some of them and their boys, who are their dogs, somewhere, somehow, in their constituencies. They see them doing these things and turn a blind eye, provided the rainy day will come.
Which is the rainy day? During campaigns and election, they become handy.
Then, traditional rulers, district heads will say, you think you can call these people to come and sit down with them? Without you, by the end of the day, agreeing to give them an alternative, economically – I mentioned earlier that they benefit from the ransom, living a lucrative life. They can disguise and go into the city, enjoy themselves, and come back and continue the business.
Whenever you hear that there is going to be a sort of reconciliation, what happens is when they come, especially in Katsina, to sit with these people, they come, intimidatingly with their weapons. When they are doing these negotiations, why don’t they call their representatives who represent them in either House of Assembly or House of Reps or the Senator to be in at the reconciliation, and even some top state government officials to sit with them.
Why? Because the districts and the village heads, the whole thing worries them. They want their area to be peaceful. They call these people, they come, intimidate them, sit down and bring very rascaly ideas. Ideas like what are we going to do? We have no job now. If we put down this weapon, what are we going to do?
Do you mean elections and campaigns contribute to the banditry ravaging Katsina and Kano States?
There is political support. I mentioned earlier about the logistical support, these people always come handy during elections and campaigns. I can tell you authoritatively that when the election comes, all these areas where you say people cannot reach, go there and see the posters of these politicians being pasted. Who takes the posters there?
Yes, the reconciliation may stop the banditry in that general area, it may stop but since these people are already accustomed to enjoying money, it is just like hunters, when there is a reduction in the animals they are hunting in a certain area, they look for a new one.
That’s why we always warn state governments, whenever there is this type of reconciliation. This is what happened in Kaduna State. When there was this reconciliation in Birni Gwari area, we warned that these people, any contiguous state they are going through, it is going to be a spill over to them.
What is the way forward?
Let us tell each other the truth, there is nothing like reconciliation happening. I will keep saying, politicians from various levels are supposed to be the best intelligence sources for the government to finish this thing.
It’s always discouraging, especially for soldiers, who have been assigned to do things. They are doing it, and are not being allowed to be on their own because they are the specialists. They keep on getting interferences from people who may be trying to protect a mining site, political supporters or support groups.
That’s why we always call on Mr President to declare a state of emergency on this insecurity. Not that they are going to remove the governors, No!
Allow the people who have been saddled with the responsibilities of dismantling this thing to go about their duty. Give them a timeline and give them the wherewithal of what they are always asking for, and you will see the result.
Look at what is happening in Kano State that is contiguous to Katsina. They are the same people; they will come in and run back to where they were operating before.
As a retired major, what would be your advice to frontline troops?
This advice, we have given so many times and they know it, and even the commanders, they know it.
But there are so many things these commanders cannot do until they go somewhere and talk. And this talk, at the end of the day, political influence, emotion and whatever sentiment will come into it, otherwise, they have been trained. A lieutenant is a platoon commander.
He has about 50-70 people under his command, and they are always at the point of fire. Give them a chance. They know what to do. They have been trained on how to go about it.
But the problem is this. Please let them get the orders from the people who are supposed to give them orders.
You win war by strength, psychology, and the propaganda machine. If you keep on giving discouraging information about your own troops, or gallant soldiers, you are encouraging the bandits.
