Residents of some states in the North-West say governments’ approach of encouraging people to defend themselves in the fight against bandits is yielding the desired result.

In their responses to a survey, they said this bold approach, which entailed enormous sacrifice by residents, had forced bandits to soft-pedal in their nefarious activities.

In Katsina, for instance, the state government said several leaders of bandit groups had reached out to the authorities, seeking peace.

The Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Masari on Security Matters, Ibrahim Ahmed, said most of the hoodlums had envisaged a bleak future and were willing to make amends.

According to him, the approach adopted by the government, targeted at ‘building the courage of the people, had started yielding positive results, with the rate of attacks by bandits reduced.

He said the state government had trained 1,100 highly volunteers to serve as members of community vigilante corps and were ready to make sacrifices for their communities to survive.

In Sokoto, a security expert, Aminu Bala, observed that the activities of bandits had reduced slightly in the past few months but called for the sustenance of the current military onslaught on the hoodlums.

Also, Laminu Umar, a resident of Sabon Birni in the state, noted that the situation in the area had changed for the better.

“The ongoing military operation in our area has helped in checking the activities of the hoodlums.

“Some of the bandits have been neutralised, while others have fled because they cannot withstand the military power; the military operation should be sustained for a long time,” he suggested.

Bello Dantsoho, a resident of Rabah in Sokoto State, also observed some improvement, saying, “They have been subdued to the extent that they can no longer launch deadly operations frequently, as was the case in the past.”

Meanwhile, some religious leaders in Kaduna State have observed that insurgency had remained unabated in the state but admitted that little success had been achieved.

One of the leaders, who is also the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, John Hayab, said despite the little success recorded, the persistence of insurgency was worrisome.

Mr Hayab observed that the number of security agents tackling the challenge was enough but stressed that what was needed was the building of the people’s confidence that would encourage sharing of useful information.

In his contribution, the acting administrative secretary of Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI), National Headquarters, Kaduna, Yusuf Bida, said an enhanced welfare package for security agents on the front line was vital.

He added that concerted media engagement efforts must also be intensified to dissuade citizens from serving as informants to hoodlums.

Reacting to recent development in the state, Zamfara State police spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu, said the security situation had improved, adding that apprehension and fear among people had subsided drastically.

According to him, the ongoing efforts by police and other security agencies in the fight against banditry activities had been yielding results.

However, former secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Zamfara, Ibrahim Kanoma, called for deploying more security personnel to rural parts of the state.

Mr Kanoma also appealed to government and security agencies to ensure close monitoring of security operations in the state.

A community leader in Gusau, Garba Yusuf, urged the government to prioritise victims of banditry activities in the state.

Mr Yusuf lamented that thousands of such victims, mainly women and children, had been displaced from their communities due to insecurity and needed intervention from the government to save their lives.

In Kebbi State, the Commissioner of Police,  Ahmed Kontagora, said his command, sister security agencies, and traditional rulers were putting heads together in confronting the lingering security challenges bedevilling the state.

The commissioner appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with the police and other security agencies to reduce crime to the minimum. 

(NAN)