For years, banditry and its nefarious activities have not only been a stain on successive governments and security agencies but have also brought untold suffering to defenceless Nigerians, especially in the North West. Many believe that these criminals are allowed to continue their reprehensible actions because of the “illegal fortune” amassed by those who are supposed to stop them.
Equally, if not more dangerous, are the unscrupulous informers who aid the bandits by providing specific information about targets for attack. In exchange, these informers often receive only a meager reward, a pittance compared to the damage or loss of life suffered by the victims of their betrayal.
In some cases, these informers are related—sometimes closely—to the very individuals they betray. These deadly actions typically come to light when the informers confess to the police following their arrest.
The recent directive from the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, PhD, CON, to the state’s Ministry of Justice to amend existing laws that punish perpetrators of banditry, as well as those who provide information to bandits, is a significant step forward in the fight against banditry in the state.
Governor Radda has already established the Community Watch Corps, aimed at curbing banditry and the activities of informers. Strengthening these efforts with judicial measures will go a long way in making it difficult for outlaws, their financiers, supporters, and informers to continue operating in Katsina State.
For too long, Katsina, along with Zamfara and Sokoto states, has been an easy target for bandits. Refugee camps have sprung up in response to the violence, and life has become increasingly difficult in many parts of these states due to the constant threat of banditry and the treachery of informers.
Governor Radda was quoted as saying: “I have ordered the office of the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to amend the Penal Code law to provide proper judgment for informers and others involved in crimes like robbery and kidnapping.”
As a matter of urgency, the law should go further by mandating life imprisonment without parole, or even the death penalty, for bandits and informers when they are apprehended. Such a law would act as a stronger deterrent, discouraging others from engaging in these reprehensible activities.
Other state governors should take a cue from their Katsina counterpart and amend their criminal codes to reflect the gravity of these crimes, ensuring that bandits, informers, and their supporters are dealt with appropriately. No law or effort should be spared in the fight against banditry and other criminal activities in Nigeria.
May God expose all those connected to the bandits in any way and grant us the necessary protection against their actions.
Labaran wrote from Katsina.
