Apparently overwhelmed by the heinous activities of bandits in Niger State, Governor Abubuakar Sani Bello recently revealed that there are moles in his administration who divulge information to criminals. Niger State has lately been attacked by bandits leading to rising kidnapping and killings of security agents and most recently, the abduction of scores of students of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina. The governor, who revealed this when he inaugurated a Special Vigilante Corps of 161 members, explained that the development has vitiated the efforts of the security agencies in the state to curb insecurity.
According to him, “Let me be blunt, as I speak here now; there are people providing information to bandits, especially within the political circle. They send messages directly to bandits disclosing whatever strategies the government adopts. Whatever we discussed, details are already with the bandits. They (bandits) call to tell us exactly what was discussed.” The governor, who claimed that the informants are everywhere, even in the Government House, lamented that he could no longer trust anybody.
It is pathetic that while the embattled governor is strategising to check the rising insecurity in his state, some politicians are working with bandits to profit from the sordid situation. Undoubtedly, Governor Bello’s allegations are weighty enough to be ignored. He must investigate those within his government involved in the unpatriotic acts. Such informants are enemies within that must be exposed and prosecuted without further delay. It is not enough to just raise the alarm and allow the sordid affair to continue as usual.
The insecurity in Niger state, like in many other states across the country has seemingly become compromised because of the selfish interests of some politicians. The situation can explain why most of the abducted Islamic school children have not been released. The fact is that no kidnapping can succeed without the input of local informants. They are the ones who guide and tell the bandits when to strike. As the governor admitted, the informants are the ones who tell the criminals the movements of security agents and in some cases ambush them. That was exactly how over 20 vigilante corps members were recently killed by bandits in Magama local government area of the state.
Clearly, the governor’s lamentation is an indication that the security situation in the country is worsening every passing day, and therefore, needs a new strategy to contain it. There is also no denying the fact that the activities of informants within government pose an additional danger that must be tackled forthwith. We recall that notable Nigerians have alerted the government that the battle against insurgency across the country was proving difficult to win because of the activities of spies within government circles. Unfortunately, such alarm has been greeted with levity.
A few days ago, Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, alleged that the Nigerian military and other security agencies, were colluding with bandits in the northern parts of the country. However, the military has denied the allegation, maintaining that the Nigerian Army remains a “symbol of national unity that will continue to discharge its constitutional responsibilities in the most professional way.”
The revelations by Governor Bello, Gumi and many other concerned Nigerians must be thoroughly investigated. All those found culpable in the heinous activities must be apprehended and diligently prosecuted. It is likely that some Nigerians have been recruited by the bandits to further strengthen their nefarious activities. It appears that bandits, aided by informants, are always a step ahead of security operatives in their attacks.
It is, therefore time to take decisive action against the bandits, insurgents and their collaborators. In that regard, state governments should scale up action against insecurity. We commend states, such as Niger, Katsina, Borno and Kaduna for unveiling anti-banditry battle plan. They must ensure that they are not infiltrated by rogue elements within and outside the government. Intelligence sharing among security agencies must be intensified.