This summary is done by Mr Ayo Eleso:
I have just read the entire 56 pages of this paper, “I am a Bandit: A Decade of Research in Zamfara State Bandit’s Den,” delivered by Dr. Murtala Rufa’i in September 2021, and I have provided a summary so that you wouldn’t have to read the entire document.
1. Contemporary rural banditry started in Zamfara in 2011, and the first gang was formed by two criminals known as Kundu and Buharin Daji.
By 2021, just a decade later, over 120 bandit gangs have emerged and had presence in six states. 10,000 bandits operated in Zamfara alone, killed over 12,000 people, stole more than 250,000 cattle, destroyed about 120 villages, and displaced 50,000 people.
2.As far back as 1891, banditry had existed in Zamfara, so it is not a new phenomenon in that region of the country.
Oral historians spoke of it and accused traditional rulers of colluding with bandits to rustle cattle and rob people. In fact, in the colonial period, bandits killed 210 traders and stole goods worth about 150,000 British Pounds.
The colonial government had to respond swiftly by stationing armed policemen in all strategic routes to curb this menace.
3. There are different speculations about the emergence of banditry in present day Zamfara.
The first speculation is that politicians recruited some youths and gave them arms to achieve their political agenda in 2011. After winning the elections, these armed youths were abandoned. Since they had weapons, they began to rob people and rustle cattle, and instead of state authorities tackling this challenge, they gave the bandits amnesty and state pardon.
The second speculation is that the bandits are simply aggrieved groups fighting for justice. They had since been subjected to extortion, exploitation, and deprivation by different state agencies. They formed a group named Kungiyar Gayu, which means ‘an association of young guys,’ to fight for social justice.
The third speculation is illicit mining. Illegal miners, seeking to gain the upper hand over their competitors, armed young boys from the forests of Dan Sadau, Dan Gulbi, and Bagega, all major mining areas in Zamfara State, a state blessed with huge gold deposits. These local miners collaborated with illegal foreign groups of South African, Chinese, and Russian origins to supply arms to the young boys. They delivered arms using helicopters. Some traditional rulers are also alleged to be involved in these illegal mining activities.
4. Sheik Gumi, after a tour to some of the bandits’ dens, provided an estimate of 100,000 arms in the hands of bandits, which raises the question of how these bandits get weapons.
The ‘porous border thesis’ provides an explanation. Nigeria has about 1,950 official borders, but there is an absolute shortage of manpower to oversee these borders. Even when these borders are manned, some of the officials have been accused of conniving with bandits to facilitate the movement of weapons into the country.
5. Teenage boys, young girls, and even married women, are involved in banditry. Some attacks have been carried out by teenage boys without the consent of their elders.
The young girls provided services such as intelligence gathering and serving as cooks to the bandits. Sometimes these armed girls were charged to look after the kidnapped victims so that they do not escape. These women also received their share of the ‘spoils of war,’ in cash and cattle
It should be noted that not every one of these women chose to become bandits. Some of them were given out as wives to leaders of bandit groups in exchange for protection of their villages
6. Bandits have also been involved in raping young girls who were sent to fetch firewood or cut grass in nearby bush. In 2012 alone, over 50 cases of rape were recorded in one district, but the number is higher, as many parents often keep silent to avoid social rejection of the victims.
7. Finally, banditry has become very sophisticated, as bandits have grown in strength, tactics and connections with various terrorist groups across West Africa and beyond.
With all the atrocities committed by these bandits, is it right to keep addressing them as bandits? Should they not be addressed as terrorists?
Thank you for reading.
You can access the full document here if you are interested in reading it:
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