Bandits\’ Troubling Evolution

Bandits\’ evolution of terror in Nigeria is progressive and distressing. In recent years, bandits have, in multiple cases, kidnapped hundreds of people, especially students, and have demanded cumulatively over ₦1 billion for their release. Bandits\’ violence has become indiscriminate, affecting formal security actors and civilians. The country has witnessed armed banditry move from fatal attacks on villages and places of learning to security formations, pointing to the growing bandits\’ audacity. In July 2021, there were claims that bandits from Zamfara state were traveling to Borno state for \”terrorist training.\” On Tuesday, 24th August, the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA), Kaduna state, was attacked by suspected bandits.

In 2022, new terror missions appear to be targeting transportation infrastructure, apparently to limit movement in and out of Kaduna state. The month of March 2022 was a troubling period in the state. A string of fatal attacks was witnessed across the board. Bandits, now terrorists, have attacked an airport, bombed railway tracks, killed, injured, and kidnapped hundreds of people. Also, some highways, especially the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, were not left out in the wave of attacks that dotted parts of the state. The bandits\’ violence recorded in Kaduna state re-echoed the ever-daring nature of banditry in the northwest and northcentral zones despite the Nigerian government declaring them as terrorists in November 2021.

Bandits\’ rampage of communities in violent hotbeds is defying many odds. Nigeria\’s fatal and unending experiences with bandits continue despite kinetic and non-kinetic approaches deployed to stem the tide. The hasty and unclear peace deals did not work. Neither have full-blown combat actions sustainably stopped the rampaging terror. Also, the declaration of bandits as terrorists has not reduced the tempo at which communities in the northwest and northcentral zones are attacked. The aftermath of the terror is underlying humanitarian crises, including the mass exodus of residents in the violent flashpoints. Many communities in the affected regions have not felt the change in the government\’s declaration of bandits as terrorists and the assurances of safety in troubled locations.

Mutuality Between Bandits and Jihadists argues that declaring bandits as terrorists will enable global anti-terror organisations to monitor their activities. It will also help reduce the flow of funds and curtail their movements across international borders, a big win for securitisation efforts. According to a November 2021 report, the Nigerian military could not deploy its Super Tucano planes from the United States (U.S.) to crush the bandits and gunmen because of the agreement between the Nigerian and United States governments. The pact between the two countries only allows the Super Tucano planes to be deployed against terrorists and not on bandits. The Nigerian court\’s November 2021 classification of bandits as terrorists should lead to increased counterterrorism missions against bandits in the affected zones. Moreover, the Nigerian government had secured approval from the United States to fight bandits with the Super Tucano jets. These developments should mean that banditry in the violent flashpoints should not be business as usual.

In Nigeria, security responses to banditry must become more proactive to wade off attacks and prevent wanton losses. The government\’s kinetic approach should involve increased policing in banditry-prone areas. In addition, the securitisation efforts should be able to monitor activities that provide logistics support to bandits. From the proliferation of attacks in recent times, most locations in bandits-affected states are not exempt from the vulnerability to banditry. Therefore, the prevalence of attacks should be matched with a more robust security framework.

Nigeria must manage the migration of terror and conflict dynamics in the violent hotspots. The seemingly easy movement of non-state armed groups in the northwest, northeast, and northcentral zones will complicate tailored security measures. For instance, Nigeria has different military operations against banditry and insurgency. The simultaneity of banditry and jihadist insurgency may also undermine security operations. Also, in terms of their new attack focus, the transition of bandits should lead to the re-evaluation of the military operations against them. A real-time conceptualisation and analysis of current security dynamics in the hotspots will help map out effective security measures that can manage the propensity of violence and prevent losses to lives and livelihood. Bandits\’ violence is on a glide in many communities in the northwest and northcentral zones, so should security responses.