Despite the scale of violent attacks by bandits in northwestern Nigeria, the policy response has failed to acknowledge the significant and disproportionate impact on women and children. Adequate policy directives must conform with international humanitarian law, say Oluwole Ojewale and Omolara Balogun, and reinvigorate the Safe School Initiative programme to promote protected education.
Insecurity in Nigeria has gone full circle in recent years, due to the countrywide emergence and domination of various non-state armed groups. With differing rationales, objectives and modus operandi, these actors includes criminal gangs, separatist groups, Islamic fundamentalists and amorphous kidnappers, dubbed ‘unknown gunmen’ in Nigerian media. Now the country’s most pressing security challenge is described as ‘banditry’ by state officials – a composite crime including armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, rape and illegal possession of firearms.
The activities of bandits directly affect the seven states of north-western Nigeria – Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara – and is fast spreading to states in the north-central region, particularly Niger State. Emerging evidence alludes to the increasing nexus between bandits and terrorists in Nigeria’s northwest through recruitment tactics and the mutual deployment of logistics and arms, combined with the region’s geographical advantage for carrying out attacks and a similar mastery of the political economy of ‘kidnap for ransom’, used to fund criminal enterprises. Estimates put the number of bandits at about 30,000, spread across scores of gangs ranging in size from 10 fighters to over a thousand.
The broader humanitarian fallout of banditry
Mass kidnappings and brutal raids on civilians in vulnerable villages by bandits are driving a humanitarian crisis. In September 2021, bandits placed a levy of twenty million naira (about US$50,000) on five villages to avoid their attacks. Government failings leave rural communities at these bandits’ mercy. At least 1,126 villagers were killed as a result of these tactics from January to June 2020. In early January 2022, at least 200 villagers were killed by bandits in Zamfara state, in one of the region’s worst recorded atrocities. While these attacks pose threats to food security in rural areas, failures to bring killers to justice also fuels feelings of impunity, according to a report by Amnesty International.
In what appears lately as a shifting geography of violence, attacks have been concentrated in villages and peri-urban areas of major towns and cities in Sokoto State. In less than a week, over 40 persons were kidnapped in December 2021 in Wurno, a small local government area in the state. An eyewitness notes ‘the vicious attack on villages is becoming overwhelming for the vulnerable residents and spreading like a wild fire’. On 6 December 2021, 23 persons died after bandits shot at a bus carrying travellers from Sokoto to Kaduna in an attack at Gidan Bawa village in Isa local government area of Sokoto State.
Banditry’s impacts on women and children
In spite of the scale of violent attacks by bandits, the significant toll of the impact on women and children is yet to receive sufficient attention in policy responses. This is despite escalating attacks often targeting vulnerable women and children and endangering the latter’s right to education. For instance, more than 61 children are still in captivity months after a mass abduction for ransom by bandits of more than 780 children in 2021, while many schools were shutdown indefinitely, according to a recent report. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says at least one million children will likely stay away from school because of the threat of violence, following the targeting of pupils in 2021 alone. This trajectory portends serious implication for Nigeria – a country blighted by endemic poverty in the northwest and reputed to house the highest number of out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Amid these attacks, women and girls bear the most significant burden of banditry in the region. Sexual violence has skyrocketed with women frequently raped, kidnapped or commodified by families who are forced to exchange their daughters for protection. For instance, at least 30 women and girls were raped indiscriminately across five communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. A similar act was carried out in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State in response to communities refusing to pay a N3 million levy (approximately US$5,000). Additionally, the humanitarian toll of banditry extends to livelihoods relied on by women, with markets and farms often raided. Victims’ highlight the effect of rape and hunger in the midst of rising insecurity and the desperate need of food, protection, shelter and clothes. Access to water has also become increasingly difficult in congested camps for displaced persons.
In the unfolding events, bandits are also co-opting women for their criminal activities. In November 2021, the Nigeria Police Force arrested a woman for supplying 991 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and drugs to bandits in Zamfara. This isolated arrest suggests the copying of operational methodologies, which has long been perfected by Boko Haram in the northeast.
Rolling back the crisis
The plight of women and children can only be stopped through coordinated interagency responses. The starting point is to revisit and reinvigorate the Safe School Initiative (SSI) program, unveiled in 2014 by the federal government in collaboration with the United Nations, with a view to rebuilding, rehabilitating and restoring normalcy to learning in safe spaces.
To be effective, SSI must place local communities at the nucleus of its implementation. They possess contextual knowledge about local security dynamics and are best suited to devise practical solutions, helping to negotiate, advocate and monitor schools as peaceful and protected spaces, utilising local relationships and community agency. Such community-based interventions would also provide cost-effective measures cardinal for prevention and protection of schools. The federal government should redirect the mandate of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to take the lead on this initiative by providing full-proof security for schools as directed.
Furthermore, the protection of women against violent attacks by bandits and wider humanitarian fallouts must be guided by robust justice and security initiatives that are fully responsive to women’s needs. A practical law enforcement solution must include the concerted prosecution of all bandits perpetrating crimes of sexual violence directed at women and girls in Nigeria’s northwest.
Government policy directives regarding the protection of women as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) must, further, conform with the international humanitarian laws and the fundamental rights of IDPs as enshrined in such protocols. Their rights to water, sanitation and hygiene must be safeguarded and implemented to ensure maximum practicable convenience in IDP camps. Moreover, the rights of such persons under international humanitarian law not to be forcefully returned to the places where they face attacks by bandits must be sacrosanct, until normalcy returns to their community and their safety is guaranteed.
Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu from Pexels.
Women and Children are usually at the recieving end of insecurity. All around the world, ‘they’ end up being the true victims of war/instability. The only solution to this dilemma is solving the security debacle plaguingthe region. If one recalls the #EndSARS movement, security outfits were weakened and criminals began boldly breaking their counterparts out of prisons in edo State especially. Tales of robberies were rampant especially at the outskirts of the Federal Capital. When security is less assured, crime is elevated. I suggest that Government co-opts local vigilantes who will work in tandem with a carefully selected group of army personnel. The local vigilantes have fore knowledge about percieved threats & can act as “first responders” whilst calling for backup from the army. Coordinated harmony between them can yeild results. The Government needs to make an example of captured bandits (who have now been proscribed as terrorists) , an example that will deter the rest from that way of life.
Only when security is reestablished, can women and children feel safe enough to desire an education.
The responsiveness of active governance to eradicate the social and societal vices in a state to make available and accessible jobs both civil and crafty opportunities for able and qualified youths . One step forward is to attract the foreign investors to foster the chances of employment as no country can survive without industries and social inclusiveness to conform with century trending.
PREAMBLE
The issue of Banditry in Nigeria is getting out of hand, Government has taken the issue to be a minor issue, under rate the activity of the Bandits, the same way the Government has under rate the activity of Boko Haram been terrorizing the North East and North Western part of Nigeria, which at long run became very complex. The Bandits formalize and modernized what the Boko Haram did even though both are non educated people, various programs has been taken place by various NGOs.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BANDITS AND BOKO HARAM
I would like to dwell and Juxtaposed from the foregone, Boko Haram combined all the activities of Banditry, but Banditry became very worser than Boko Haram, because in Boko Haram, they Abduct, they put time bomb in market and many sensitive places, they kill, they rape, they bit and finally the worse is they make use of innocent small girls to explode many places instead of sending the time bomb in their vehicles. Same to Banditry issue they Abduct for a very long time, rape and many atimes kill, open fire as at when due, instead of vehicles mustly they make use of Machines, various Stakeholders have met advise Government at all levels on the way forward but all inven no serious outcome, but from the look of things the Bandits are suffering in the hand of Soldiers, may God aids us. One love
This is very educative and impactful, of a truth, Bandit of women and children has really been an issue in Nigeria, and policies in this regards has fully been implemented or carry out due to one political reason or the other.
The problem we have is we lack insecurities, our arm-forces are inquest enough, even when government spend enough money to security, one person will just sat on it and that is all about the money.
And also this remote area left behind intems of preventing measures orientation, there are not thought on how to protect themselves from this Bandit problem, I feel when an orientation to them, it will help in reducing some of this problems.
I also talk about technology Improvement, if the government can improve on our technology measure, this also can help in detecting the hideouts of the kidnappers, building a strong satellite in all local areas.
Thanks.
Rolling Back the Crime: the starting point for me would rather be that both the Federal and State governments become proactive in their measures to arresting the criminal situations. In as much as there are already adequate laws that cover all the crimes being perpetuated, the laws should take its course. Radicalization and rehabilitation of bandits is indirectly promoting criminalism. All offenders should be duly arrested and prosecuted.
Criminalizing the activities of the bandits and dealing with the criminals by the governments is paramount, unfortunately, it was just few days ago this January 2022 that the Federal Government through the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice declared the bandits as terrorist groups, and that they would henceforth be dealt with as such and according to law prohibiting terrorism in Nigeria. If this declaration is followed up with requisite actions, it will go a long way in arresting the unfortunate situations. The conditions have escalated this far because they were not nipped in the bud with requisite actions and proactive measures.
Secondly, the presence of security personnel should be increased in the affected localities. This means that provision should be made in the budgets of the entire security institutions in Nigeria to recruit or enlist young Nigerians into the system as security personnel, coupled with the provision of adequate funds to acquire sophisticated arms that can match those of the criminals. This should form the primary steps towards checkmating the criminal activities of the bandits and others in making the community safe for the success of other initiatives such as the SSI.
With the above strictly implemented other measures are likely to succeed in arresting the unfortunate situations and reducing the level of vulnerability of women and children in the affected region of the country.
It has been observed that, armed banditry has caused a lot myriads of problems to the displaced persons in especially women and children ; and that, these defects has generally affected the general wellbeing as well as development of the displaced person in Nigeria causing a lot of
hardship and sometimes even death to the victims of displacement.
Based on the above submissions therefore, I recommend that, the governments of Nigeria must rise to the occasion by taming and ending
banditry in the each state. This can be achieved through introducing those policies that would bring about the
social-inclusiveness of members of the various people and communities that made up the states as well as providing those basic human needs that are intrinsic of the people in the entire States amongst which are
good and accessible road network; Medical center for both human and their animals; security for schools, for both adult and young people; access to good drinking water for both humans and animals; procurement of fertilizer with other farming implements at a subsidized rates as well as provision of agricultural
extension workers; power supply and other social developmental projects.
The spade of banditry attacks in Nigeria has reached a dangerously fever pitch that is eating into the fabrics of every sphere of life and it is affecting particular, women and children.
This category of the population are the worst-hit. This is largely as a result of the fact that more women are in the trading industry and as such, the attacks on markets affects them adversely. In the same vein, children are out of school as a result of the incessant attacks on schools.
In recent times, we have heard stories of women being used by bandits to lure other women into their camps where they are raped and sometimes killed. All these has negative effects on the psyche of women and children alike.
Therefore, there is a need for an urgent policy response in Nigeria in order to curb the excesses of the bandits and to ameliorate the effects of such attacks on women and children. Our children need a safe learning environment. If this is not done, the future of our nation is in jeopardy as the rate of unemployment and invariably poverty will escalate.
Banditry can be said or referred to as armed violence driven principally by criminal intend to steal and plunder. it is motivated by the quest for economic accumulation. Banditry is on the increase in North western states of Zamfara Kaduna and Kastina as these communities are located in remote areas where there is little or no government presence, household are in some cases separated by interspersed with forest areas.
Women and children are the most vulnerable victim of such menace as this phenomenon has escalated and led to
numerous live lost which also have crippled socio economic activities and also gave negative impact on Nigeria women and children. These women and children have been the primary victims of the break down of peace due to the activities of insurgency and bandit which have led to more wides spread displacement and poverty.
Finding through descriptive and historical method it shows that it is abject poverty, corruption, fraud political influence, joblessness, lack of capital punishment by government and quick money syndrome are major causes of this menace in Nigeria.
Remedies to these menace of banditry are job creation,new policy adaption and implementation, public awareness,sim card registration, empowerment programs, quitting ransom payment,remodified community policing,
Banditry impact on women and children needs a policy response to stop the menace.
-Develop special support program in partnership with women’s organization and heal
The Safe School Initiative(SSI) is a welcome development, however, its implementation can only be feasible if there is a strong political will.
More so, the introduction of state police into the Nigerian policing system as widely suggested by many Nigerians could be another good policy response towards tackling the incessant security conundrum in the country.
On reading this write up, the very first thing that came to my mind is; HOW DOES ONE ROLL OUT A TARGET POLICY to help the plight of women and Children in this areas affected by Banditry.
Well, given so many factors at play here, such a Policy might not yield the desired results and lead to the cropping up of other UNCERTAINTIES IN THE [POLICY.
Take the SAFE SCHOOL INITIATIVE for example, we have rough;y about 54,434, Public primary schools in Nigeria with a good number of them in the North. The Security agents in Nigeria which would have to provide a Safe Atmosphere for the Children to get an education are not adequate.
Also, if more attention is directed towards protecting the schools, what happens to the Man of the house who is also faced with the menace in the farms, markets.
These places also need the presence of the security agents.
My point here is that if the child/woman is kept safe and the Man wiped out, the Parental support needed for the child to remain in school is lost and we would have a lot of drop outs.
I would rather we have a policy that targets everyone that is faced with the dangers of Criminality.
This would mean a combination of approaches that attack the scourge from the root or even before the seed is planted.
The Nigerian society is such that in most families the presence of the Father/Husband assures the mother and Child of a good life (all things being equal
The post/article really enunciate impacts of Banditry on women and children in Nigeria; The vulnerability of women and Children in Northern Nigeria is likened to an ‘endangered species’ that struggles daily to survive, especially during insurgency and Banditry.
According to the Recovery and Peace Building Assessment (RPBA) carried out by World Bank, about fifteen million people have been affected by the insurgency in the North East of Nigeria since 2009. It is also estimated that over 20,000 lives have been lost and over 2.1 million people have been displaced. The displacement has created severe vulnerabilities. The overall impact of the conflict on infrastructure and social services is estimated at US$ 9.2 billion.
There are several factors that escalates banditry and cardinalities; which includes Corruption, lack of infrastructure development, Social Inequality, bad or non-focused education system, bad/wrong orientation & awareness, religious intolerance and hate preaching, Injustice or weak judicial System.
If we can recall, there was a period when a funds to purchase arms and ammunition to combat terrorism and banditry was alleged diverted by some Nigerians, the infrastructure that can make it difficult for Banditry to operate in the rural areas are not there so they make those areas their main target. The judicial system is also very weak where criminals are not being sent to where they belong.
In tackling the above mentioned issues, Government of Nigeria can also treat the condition of women and Children as an emergency, by setting up structures headed by or headed by shared leadership roles of women, that will investigate their situations and proffer solutions. Also an Empowerment Education Fund should be created to provide accessibility for compulsory primary, secondary and even tertiary education to the Children Nigeria, particularly in the affected Areas.
Banditry is said to be armed violence driven principally by the criminal intent to steal and plunder. It is motivated by the quest for economic accumulation. The victim of such menace are mostly women and children.The menace and phenomenon has escalated and led to numerous live lost which also have crippled socio economic activities.
Finding through descriptive and historical method show that it is abject poverty corruption,political influence, joblessness lack of capital punishment by the government, quick money syndrome etc to mention but few are the major causes of banditry in Nigeria which lead to women and children falling victims and more vulnerable
Remedies that can stop this menace of banditry in Nigeria are :- job creation,New policy adaption and implementation, public awareness and empowerment programs, Sim card registration, quitting ransom payment, small and light arms proliferation remodified community policing etc
Banditry impact on women and children in Nigeria needs a policy response:-
-Internal expert should also provide gender sensitive civilian protection training to soldier police and Nema official deployed to IDP camps.
-Federal, state and international bodies should coperate to develop progra
Fundamental human rights of women and children as well as rights for vulnerable are key to national development. Going by Geneva convention on the right of women, children and the vulnerable that their should not be harmed and the Millennium Development Goal on vision 2030 for the provision for cleaning water, quality education, protection of fundamental rights were condition and or agreements of all members state of MDG and in an attempt by any member state to violate treaty it means it will no longer benefit from the assistance. From forgoing it is unequivocally wrong for banditry to attack on innocent women and children who are not the cause of their aggression and frustration. The Government are responsible for the aggressive behavior of the bandits through negative gaps/lapses found in governance. These gaps are as follows: the legitimacy gap; capacity gap and the security gap.
By legitimacy, the process that brought government to power was through fraudulent means, what this means is that the process of election was rigged and there was general voters intimidation as well as the mass media we’re gagged. In general terms the thugs were recruited to flea the electioneering process.
Capacity gap, in other words capacity gap in governance means when the government failed to provide basic social amenities to the citizenry such as quality education, accessible road, affordable health care service, etc then it will induce the aggrieved members of the society to form or join armed bandit
Security gap, by security gap it means when fail to provide security for the protection of lives and property of the citizenry the there is negative functional indicators in governance as individuals will recruitment security personnel to protect them.
From forgoing it is crystal clear that our dear country had negate the Geneva convention as well as the MDG and what this means is that Nigeria will not befit from the Assistance any longer and by extension the the rights of women and the children will further detoriarated. In totality this will hinder Nigeria from donor from development partners and international community.
Banditry is an organized crime by outlaw persons who.engages in violent means of murder, exthortion, rape and all sorts to get wealth. It’s an illegal means of getting wealth which in consequence make the immediate environment impoverished and desolute. The NorthWest and some part of the North Central of Nigeria are currently having this nasty experience.
CAUSES OF BANDITARY.
(1) Poverty
(2) Illiteracy
(3) Fall out arming political thurgs for electioneering campaigns.
(4) Influence of Hard Drugs
(5) Lack of adequate securities
Solution Policies
(1) Govt should embàrk on rigorous youth empowerment / Poverty alleviation program
(2) Federal Govt should encourage community policing or State policing as it is evident that the Federal security apparatus is overwhelmed.
(3) Free and compulsory pry and secondary School education to reduce level of Illiteracy among our teeming youths
(4) Modern IT driven security arrangements around vulnerable areas.
(5) Rigorous fight against sources of inflow of hard drugs into the country
(6) Blockage of inflow small arm’s ammunition into the country.
(7)All states in Nigeria should declare banditry as an act of terrorism and ensure that severe punishment is carried out against bandit to deter others from such act
Banditry is referred to as armed violence driven principally by the criminal intent to steal and plunder.It is motivated by the quest for economic accumulation.The phenomenon has escalated and led to numerous live lost which also have crippled socio economic activities and has negative impact on women and children making them vulnerable to this menace
Finding through descriptive and historical method show that it is abject poverty, corruption political influence, joblessness quick money syndrome, lack of capital punishment by the government etc.are the major causes of banditry in Nigeria which lead to women and children falling victims and more vulnerable.
Remedies to stop this ugly menace of banditry in Nigeria are :-Job creation, New policy adaption and implementation, public awareness and empowerment programs, Sim card registration, quitting ransom payment, stoppage of small and light arms proliferation and remodified community policing.etc
Banditry impact on women and children in Nigeria needs a policy response which are -:
-; Internal expert should also provide gender sensitive civilian protection training to soldier police and Nema official deployed to IDP camps.
-Federal, state and international bodies should coperate to develop programs to increase women’s recruitment in local police force and deploy them in IDp camps.
,-Develop special support program in partnership with women’s organization religion association and health centres for women victims of sexual abuse to ensure they and their children are free from discriminations, violence and stigmatisation.
In conclusion-Women need support not only to gain more control over their lives but also become actors and decision makers in constructing the North East.
Stakeholders should support women in realizing their core objective of building a peaceful society.
This is very complicated and wicked problem, from the economic point of views. Advocating a policy to address these problems is very difficult. General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Chairman of the National Peace Committee, told Nigeria in April last year that there are six million weapons circulating in the hands of non-state actors in Nigeria and they are using them. The death toll, he estimates, is 80,000, while about three million people are internally displaced.
The country finds itself at a point in our national trajectory where young Nigerians feel sufficiently marginalised from the STATE and SOCIETY to procure arms and engage in self-help, which they define variously as banditry, scorched earth attacks on innocent village communities,accompanied by mass rape and other forms of sexual violence, in addition to the killing of security agents, and even the declaration of an Islamic Caliphate in Nigeria.
There are too many groups that have discovered that obtaining an AK47 can be their pathways to wealth because they are not in government, where you can be wealthy by stealing without arms. This is the demographic time bomb in which we find ourselves today.
The most important contemporary problem for Nigeria is the lack of opportunity for the youth. The country has developed a huge youth bulge that has been growing rapidly. This is happening at a time in which formal opportunities for employment are declining and having a job has become a minority experience. The North is the most affected region in the country in this regard. The North, especially the North-East and North-West, are the most backward regions of Nigeria in all social sectors. It has the highest birth rate in the contemporary world, the lowest level of economic development, the least access to education and the poorest network of health facilities and
staff.
The population of the North is growing at a higher rate than the rest of the country, thereby deepening poverty rates. In Nigeria, in 2015, the fertility rate was 5.5 births per woman, but this incre
This is a very wicked problem
Banditry is referred to as armed violence driven principally by the criminal intent to steal and plunder. It is motivated by the quest for economic accumulation.The phenomenon has escalated and led to numerous live lost which also have crippled socio economic activities and negative impact on women and children in Nigeria making them more vulnerable
Finding through descriptive and historical method show that it is abject poverty, corruption,fraud political influence joblessness, lack of capital punishment by the government and quick money syndrome etc are the major causes of banditry in Nigeria which lead to women and children falling victims and more vulnerable.
Remedies that can stop this menace of banditry in Nigeria are:-job creation, New policy adaption and implementation public awareness and empowerment programs quitting ransom payment, stoppage of small and light arms proliferation, remodified community policing, Government should put more resources to increase tht human capacity of the military and provide equipment and training etc.to mention but few.
Banditry impact on women and children in Nigeria needs policy response which:-
-Internal expert should also provide gender sensitive civilian protection training to soldier police and Nema official deployed to IDP camps
-Federal, state and international bodies should coperate to develop programs to increase women’s recruitment in local police force and deploy them in IDp camps
-Develop special support program in partnership with women’s organization religion association and health centres for women victims of sexual abuse to ensure they and their children are free from discrimina
In my own opinion Banditry has actually has a serious impact on women and children in Nigeria as a result a strong policy has to be put in place such as;
1. Coming out with a policy that bandits should be sentenced to some years imprisonment to serve as lesson to others;
2. Vigilantee groups should be well trained and armed in the various communities in Nigeria to protect women and children.
Women and children have been at higher risks when it comes to insecurity as women constitute a vulnerable group of society. (Have no ability for self-defence, protection, exposed to all manner of attacks, abuses, robbery, rape among others).Abduction of school girls, has been harmful for female students’ access to education. Many of the female students have been forced to suspend their education after their school was attacked or permanently dropped out of school because of the attacks.
Many women are said to be suffering mental and physical health problems because of the abuses they have suffered. Some described continuing to endure bleeding and other serious gynecological problems as a result of rape. Girls as well as some of the women , described recurring nightmares, anxiety, being easily frightened, and inability to focus, and other signs commonly associated with trauma. Their traumatic experiences often have an impact on their health and may also impede their ability to move on with their lives in other important ways.
With all these aforementioned, there is an urgent need for measures in bringing the culprits to justice,There should also be programs that will cater for the needs of women especially when it comes to their mental health as a result of what they might have been through in the Dens of these bandits. This will go a long way at rehabilitating them to be able to live their lives and be positive impacts to the society.
The issue before us here is a very delicate one but the truth still remains that, the presence of government and yet, the absence of the true feeling of governance remain the major problem of nigeria today.
It is actually unfair to narrow banditry destructive excavation in the north alone as it could still be felt in other region of the country although in a disguise or different crime names.
As it is clearly understood, any unwanted incidents that persevere more than 24 hours apparently, has a government backing either directly or illegitimately. Anyway, I’m not here to play blame game.
Thus, responding to this question sincerely, one with experience of even domestic violence understand that the two most vulnerable set of people in the time of crisis are women and children. And the recent happening has given a supportive evidence to it.
The increase rates of killing of minors and and molestation of women. This terrible happening had placed an unthinkable mental breakdown and trauma on Most of the women, resulting to the recent fearful outburst and demonstration just few months ago. Even with this pitiable situation and demonstration, it is very obvious that the government is showing less concern to the plight of these vulnerable masses. You and are are not actually immune from this.
Hence, to truly tame this issue and curtail this banditry to the lowest minimum government must work assiduously to achieve good governmance. For if the government is servicing every secto
In the 19th century, English scholar, Thomas Malthus in his widely read book ‘An Essay on the principle of population’ warned the world that the geometric growth of human beings will far outstrip the resources needed to take care of them. He warned that there will be lots of famine with its attendant undesirable consequences and that the world should brace up for the agony that would follow.
The West proved him wrong as they used science and technology to give their citizens a better deal in life.
However he is indeed a sort of prophet as his prediction seems to have come to pass in Nigeria – the African continent’s most populous country which earned her the ironical sobriquet ‘The Giant of Africa.’
Nigeria has been cursed with the worst set of leaders both military and civilian and the lack of vision from these overlords has ensured the perpetuation of the vicious cycle of poverty which has been the lot of the populace.
Malthus was a die-hard advocate of population control long before it became a global buzzword. China had to embark on a one child per family policy in 1978 to keep their population under control after the Cultural Revolution failed to leapfrog the Asian nation into the economic big league.
Coming back home, population control has been an extremely hard sell as most people especially the proletariat believe that children are a gift from God and as such they should perpetually be open to life.
Banditry is a social problem confronting parts of northern Nigeria.It has been allowed to degenerate into a complex national emergency.Women and children are badly affected by way of abduction for ransom, raping,hunger and involvement in the the criminal activities,
Tackling banditry requires adequate policy response from federal government and other levels of government,as well as intervention of non-governmental organization like the civil society groups.forceful policing of the affected communities will serve to curtail the impact of banditry..A collaboration between the grassroot vigilantes and the State security operatives will be a good solution.
The recent declaration of banditry as terrorist groups will enable the military and other security agencies to deal with the criminals accordingly..
The coordination and collaboration of policies and strategies of various security operatives and relevant non-governmental intervention is a necessity to curtailing banditry in Nigeria.
INTRODUCTION: In North West Nigeria, unidentified armed men have attacked civilians, engaging in criminal activities including village raids, sexual violence, kidnapping for ransom, killing, and large-scale cattle rustling. The criminal groups have jeopardised the livelihoods of about 21 million people living in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara. There is concern that militant extremist groups such as Boko Haram might have influenced these criminal groups either directly or indirectly. Such influence may have caused the rise in school abductions observed since 2020 December.
– Safe School Initiative (SSI), The initiative is launched in partnership with key stakeholders which includes government, media, civil society, youth, parents and teachers through the Global Business Coalition for Education focuses on bolstering the physical protection of schools, providing school guards and police in partnership with Nigerian authorities, training staff as school safety officers, providing communications tools and school counselors. In order to have a robust SSI the following issues must be considered and work tirelessly to actualize:
i. Achieve Economic growth
ii. Connect the abducted with descent jobs
iii. Compensate short-term losers
In North West Nigeria, unidentified armed men have attacked civilians engaging in criminal activities including village raids, sexual violence, kidnapping for ransom, killing and Large – scale cattle rustling. The criminal groups have jeopardised the livelihoods of about 21million people living in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara. There is concern that militants extremist groups such as Boko Haram might have influenced these criminals groups either directly or indirectly. Such influence may caused the rise in schools abductions observed since December 2020. A boom in weapons trade in this area has also encouraged the growth of criminal activities.
The violence in North West Nigeria has resulted in an estimated 80,000 refugees crossing the border into the Maradi region, Niger, since 2019.
Condition of women during Banditry attacks.
Women and female children are adversely affected by banditry as they are in all conflicts situations. The abductions and involvement of women in bantry have increased in recent time. They are abducted for various reasons and are in some cases used as instruments of warfare. It was noticed that women were not deliberately targeted for abduction in the communities surveyed in Taraba State. However, in Taraba State, women were actually sighted as direct participant in fighting and looting.
In kaduna State, women were sighted fighting and looting along side with bandits in two communities. In kaura, two of the key informants explained that women sighted during banditry attacks. Policy must recognised the ways in which Banditry can disrupts women’s critical roles in family and society.
Policy response for banditry impacts on women and children.
Nigeria especially the north-western region has been bleeding as a result of the deadly blows thrown at it by the bandits. The situation has assumed a worrisome dimension as people are being killed on a daily basis in the country by bandits operating in villages in that region. This leaves a devastating effect on women and children as it concerns their education and well-being.
The need for policy response to the menace is therefore imperative:
The revisiting and reinvigorating of the safe school initiative (SSI) program unveiled in 2014 in collaboration with the United Nations would be a step in the right direction. However, other factors that ought to be considered during this implementation would be;
1. Identifying the causes of banditry, which many have attributed to the struggle for scare resources;
2. Who are the bandits and their sponsors?
3. What are their motivations?
4. Is there a political will by government to fight banditry? If there is, who among the bandits perpetuating the killings have been arrested and what punishment has been served to them?
In stopping the plight for women and children, through coordinated interagency responses, there is need also for horizontal and vertical government collaboration across governments and across sectors.
1. Local and traditional security apparatuses and vigilantes should be strengthened in the defense of women and children with full support from the federal government (capacity building).
2. Local, state and federal government should be deliberate and united in their fight against banditry (connected). The traditional chiefs and institutions who know the hide-outs and even the bandits living among them should be willing to give this information to security personnel.
3. A robust policy frame work should be able to gain trust and faith of all stakeholders involved, civil society organizations, media and entire Nigerian people in the fight against banditry in order to safeguard the lives of women and children in the country. Because an average Nigerian believes that government is connected with the operations of bandits. It is the same government that is expected to implement the SSI policy. Trust is a social capital and trust should be gained from the people.
Banditry in Nigeria especially has assumed a homongous dimension that no one known approach can be effective to tackle it thus it needs an adaptive approach.
Banditry has come to be known as any illegal acts ranging from cattle rustling, illegal arms possession and harrassing of innocent citizens with those arms with the aim of killing, maiming, kidnapping and even raping of women and children.
Most of the approaches adopted by the government may not have yielded the desired results because the institutions are working in silos rather than integrating each other to find a lasting solution.
In view of the foregoing, I would suggest a Joined up Government Approach to effectively look at the critical issues of this banditry and propose a lasting solution to them.
The agencies that need to be talking and holding stakeholders meetings and consultation include but not limited to
1. Federal Ministry of Women Affairs
2. Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affair
3. Federal Ministry of Education
4. Federal Ministry of Defence
5. Other security agencies like NSCDC
6. Relevant NGOs.
These groups of stakeholders need to as a matter of urgency look seriously into the menace of banditry especially as it affects women and children who form the bedrock of any society. The role of women cannot be overemphasized in the society – molding the children, farming and trading, sustaining the home, contributing to the nation’s economic development etc.
So there is need to develop policies that protect their rights and maintain their dignity.
Children and their rights should also be protected – right to life, to education and quality living. Banditry has tended to remove all of these rights of both women and children as a result of what they are exposed to as seen in the article.
Adequate policy design and implementation is required to right the psyche of these categories of people and set them on the path of healing and thus a better society will emerge.
If a woman’s right is protected, the family is preserved, the society will progress and the nation will gain most.
Nwachukwu Gloria Ugochi.
The increasing attacks of bandits group have led to the destruction of lives and properties, displacement of people from their communities, and growing number of widows, widowers and orphans, who now resides in internally Displaced persons (IDPs) camps following the continued attacks of armed bandits.
Condition of women during Banditry attacks.
Women and female children are adversely affected by banditry as they are in all conflicts situations. The abductions and involvement of women in bantry have increased in recent time. They are abducted for various reasons and are in some cases used as instruments of warfare. It was noticed that women were not deliberately targeted for abduction in the communities surveyed in Taraba State. However, in Taraba State, women were actually sighted as direct participant in fighting and looting.
In kaduna State, women were sighted fighting and looting along side with bandits in two communities. In kaura, two of the key informants explained that women sighted during banditry attacks. Policy must recognised the ways in which Banditry can disrupts women’s critical roles in family and society.
Impact of arm banditry on school and children.
Schools which serve as critical social institutions are not spared in situations of armed conflicts. Attacks on schools have increased exponentially in recent times. In every community investigated in this study, it was found that schools were not only prevented from operating during instances of armed banditry, they were also targeted for attacks. The participants interviewed in Ardo kola concurred that both primary and secondary schools were prevented from operating as a result of banditry in their community. Jema’a and Birnin Gwari were the areas worst affected. In Kaduna state, there were no recoded cases of child abductions or use of children in banditry. The implications of this scenario include the closure of schools. That closure negati
Any country with a weak justice system is open to a cocktail of plagues: worse if said country is transitory.
An issue not mentioned is the effect of all these on the mental capacities of (un)affected women and girls. Mental health is an issue that cannot be ignored. Females need to feel safe in their mental spaces for effective learning.
I strongly believe mental health (MH) should be included to the rights of water, sanitation and hygiene & MH enshrined in the constitution.
Education is said to be the best legacy any parent can bequeath a child/ward; however, not much is said about the effect of ignorance aka a state of being intellectually barren, which is a scourge worse than illiteracy-there are several educated ones ignorant about basic themes. Include poverty and illiteracy against a backdrop of corruption and greed and the scene is ready for this theme we’re commenting on.
The last defence for any country is the military. If it is ill-equipped & or poorly managed (welfare included), disasters such as these become the norm.
Issues such as banditry etc cannot be resolved if root causes are not tackled head on.It’s that simple.
Banditry and related vices are issues that have to be tackled at the roots.Until gaps such as a weak legal system, the long- standing cocktail of plagues(:poverty, illiteracy and ignorance) against a backdrop of corruption and greed are systematically eliminated, the journey has barely begun. Unemployment, underemployment and (lack of/poor welfare) are themes that need to also be addressed.
Nigeria, being a transitory country is saddled and plagued with cross-cutting, multidimensional challenges that have spun webs in their own right. Unfortunately, females bear the brunt of any hardship. A disturbing issue unmentioned is the effect of these on their mental health. Everything but mental health seems to be addressed to some extent.
Mental health is an issue that does not vanish or resolve itself. People need to feel safe to learn effectively. Learning is secondary. Safety is primary for people need to be alive to learn. I strongly believe a sound mental health should be added to the rights of water, sanitation and hygiene. It ought to be enshrined in the constitution. Rehabilitation and restoration does not erase trauma. Themes should be aptly prioritized.
In light of the above, I wish to draw attention to my first stanza. lgnorance, or what I’ll label intellectual barreness is a scourge worse than illiteracy. Education does not eliminate this even though it’s been christened as the best legacy any parent can bequeath a child/ward.
Ignorance is one that has to be self-addressed and this is only feasible through enlightenment, active & lifelong learning whilst being open to change.
Delving into another theme namely, the military- I.e. the last defence a country a has. When a military is ill-equipped and or poorly managed, disasters such as these become the norm. The military should remain corruption-proof.
I wish to underscore the importance of a credible and swift justice system. If steep penalties are issued to offenders- with no option of bail for crimes such as these, it would serve as a deterrent for observing masses. The judiciary has the power to roll back this crisis; the earlier they act on their responsibilities (& follow through with sentences), the better society would be.
In order to contain the alarming rate of banditry attacks on innocent citizens and it’s negative impact on women and children,,I would suggest that the government should draw up a joined community approach policy.Here, all the major stakeholders and key actors, that is, the security agencies, the community leaders, the youths and the women in the affected communities would come together profer suitable solution to this menace.This is because these criminal elements belong to these communities.Their parents live here, their brothers and sisters live here.Their mothers and wives who happens to be the most vulnerable group live.These people know and understand the feelings of the people and their challenges.The know the language to use and the right approach to employ to contain the situation.This policy should be known as the social/community approach theory, deployed without the use of force.Secondly, the SSI programme should be strengthened to get children and particularly girls back to school.Apart from providing security in schools as others have suggested, I will also suggest that school children be deployed to safer schools in other parts of the country.
The northwest has experianced low-level conflict over many decades however the last few years the violence has increased and later on new dimension.conflict encompassed (but not limited to) farmer-herder clashes,banditry, criminality and organised arms groups in late 2019 and early 2020 started to emerged cattle rustle, kidnapping, rape and other vices where more rampant. in order to sterm the tide of violence peace negotiation accured however,they broke down at a later time intensifying violence and displacement of alot of people mostly women and children. INDICATORS AT-A- GLANCE
GAM Rates are- 9.1%
Child Poverty rates-74.7%
1/2 Children are stunted
U5 Mortalityis 210/1000
Fewer then one in four children are vaccinated
Lower coverage of portable water
Only 2-2 of school and 3.3% health facilities has basic WASH services
Open defecation is widespread.
There are over 1 million out of school primary school in the northwest as a result of violence
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
There bis need to address humanitarian crisis in the fold as many people where displace from there original home.
To address severe food insecurity many trucks with food items where distributed in the IDPS in the northern part of the country.
To reduce mortality and morbidity rate beneficiaries recieved food nutrition supplement and cash assistance to the IDPS in the region
To increase resilliance several widowers whom lost there husband recieved N 120000 cash assistance per house hold in some part of the northwest.
OTHER ACTORS RESPONSE NEEDED (GAPS)
* Coordination
*Information Management
*Capacity building for humanitarian respon
The banditry attack on the seven states of north-western Nigeria poses a huge threat to the Nigerian economy, women, children; and has also caused a lot of mishap to the northern residence.
The fact about the bandits is that they leave with the people and operates within their residence, they are also known by the people/villagers, exposing them is easy, but ensuring protection of the informants still remains a big challenge.
The bandits have sponsors in the government and within the security bodies, spies within the host communities; and also gets funding and support from foreign countries.
Key Identified questions to be answered are:
• Who are these bandits (foreigners, indigens or mixed);
• Where are the bandits;
• What is their Mission or Objectives;
• Who are their sponsors, backup and supporters;
• What is their characteristics, modus operandi and formation.
Measures to put in place are as follows:
• Strengthen bilateral Security Agreement with close African countries to help track down the bandit’s movement and the sources of their foreign supports;
• Create a private secured reporting channels for reporting known bandits;
• Draft a bill to protect the informant’s lives and another a Death Sentence Bill to sentence identified banditry sponsors.
• Train and equip the security agencies and village vigilan
Banditry and other forms of criminality have a tremendous negative impact on women & children. The reported cases of stigmatisation and subjugation to societal ills by the community even after going through horrible experience such as prostitution ; and child labour cannot be over emphasised.
There is the need for a whollistic approach ; effective collaboration between tiers of government to provide adequate security to the IDP camps before normalcy returns in their respective villages as well as engage the women in acquiring skills that would make them kick start their lives and be economically viable through an empowerment programme. While the children should be given education as well as vocational skills to keep them engaged and hopeful of a light after a dark storm. Those whose education were disrupted should be given scholarship to continue.
The story of Hanifa the abducted 5-year old Kano girl who was murdered by her abductors after collecting some ransom is a stark reminder of the evil people lurking around the communities particularly those in the present banditry-ravaged communities across the Northwestern region of Nigeria..
How could societies whose weaker segment,aged and womenfolk are not protected, promoted and secured? I doubt much.
No doubt, the evil bandits had wrecked unmittigated havoc on our women and children ranging from rape, slaughter,assault and displacement but should the ugly be allowed to continue?
What should be the role of the Government (at all levels) and stakeholders in bringing an end to this menace?
What should be put in place to avert the future occurrence of it?
The Government whose duty, among the other things.,it is to protect people and their properties should rise to the occasion and ensure it provides logistics needed to nip this menace in the bud before our women and children who happen to be the most vulnerable are wiped out.And,as the situation is getting scary by the day, the Government can go to the extent of declaring state of emergencies in those highly ravaged states if that would bring about the lasting solution to the crises.While doing that,it must ensure that those vulnerable women and children that are camped in the IDP camps are well protected and well fed and ensure they attend schools provided specially for them.
Stakeholders particularly the community leaders must be vigilant at all times and they should ensure that those criminals are not hoarded and where they suspect such,they should help smoke them out and be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Conclusively,our Justice system should be made strong enough to deal decisively with anyone caught in the act of terror.In other words, justice should be allowed to prevail.