These days, it is not easy to come across print or electronic media, nor is it easy to get my phone calls answered or my SMS messages returned, perhaps due to the circumstances I find myself in. This has led many people to draw the wrong conclusions when they try to solve simple problems. I sometimes do that myself, though not often.
That’s why, when I saw a trending video on social media showing the infamous bandit, Bello Turji, along with many others, including his most feared ‘boys,’ captured by the Nigerian Army, I quickly sought confirmation from other media sources. Silently, I congratulated the soldiers for getting rid of some of the bandits who have turned life into a living hell for many poor people in the northwestern part of the country. These are the survivors who lived to tell their harrowing experiences at the hands of the dreaded outlaws.
I wanted to be doubly sure before putting pen to paper regarding the capture of these outlaws. They were all reportedly captured alive, despite the boasts of some bandits that no one had the power to approach the territories they allegedly ‘controlled.’ I hope and pray this isn’t fake news, as I’ve yet to see it confirmed on another platform.
Some weeks ago, Bello Turji appeared in a video clip hurling insults at the President and the Governor of Katsina State, calling them out by name. In response, another video showed young soldiers urging him to leave civilians alone and go after the government he claimed to be fighting. The soldiers added, “If you’re man enough to walk your talk, come after us, not the civilians you always target.”
If Turji’s capture is true, it would serve many purposes. Firstly, it would demonstrate to the world that Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, as all the captured outlaws would face trial in court. Some organizations and individuals have propagated the false belief that this country does not respect the rule of law. Even some Western countries spread this narrative. But the trial of these captured bandits would debunk that falsehood.
No matter how long the trial takes, it must reach a conclusion, so the world can see that justice is not only done but is also seen to be done—despite the fact that these bandits never gave their victims any justice, only their own kind of ‘justice.’
Furthermore, it would provide those accused of supporting or colluding with the bandits a chance to clear their names. If they fail, it would convince the public that they are indeed guilty as charged.
The capture, if true, would also prove that once the Military High Command receives a directive from the President, as he gave in no uncertain terms to bring the bandits in ‘dead or alive,’ the military leadership would instruct the soldiers accordingly. True to their professional expertise, the military complied with the President’s directive, eliminating most of the dreaded bandits. Notable figures like Halilu Sabulu, Kachalla Makore, and Auwalu Mahaukaci were neutralized, while Bello Turji and some other feared bandits were captured alive.
If Turji’s capture is confirmed, it would also leave people questioning these bandits, especially the kingpins like Bello Turji who once boasted of being invincible: where is their magic wand now? Has it gone AWOL, as the military would say?
It is the hope and prayer of all peace-loving Nigerians, especially those in the northwestern states of Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina, that all the bandits are decisively dealt with so that they can once again sleep, like the rest of their compatriots, with both eyes closed.
Labaran wrote from Katsina.
