Insecurity: Shinkafi highlights major causes of banditry in Northwest

A former governorship candidate in Zamfara State and ex-All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, national Secretary, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi has urged governors of the North West geopolitical zone to accelerate the development of the region through education, wealth creation and social amenities.

He said this will impact the lives of the people, asking them to stop dissipating energy and resources in organising peace and security summits and conferences within and outside Nigeria.

In a statement he signed on behalf of the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, Shinkafi noted that the problems in the zone require political will and pragmatic actions, not empty rhetoric as obtainable in the past 12 years which has not changed the narrative.

He noted that the North West geopolitical zone has the largest land mass and also 30 per cent of the total population of Nigeria.

The politician pointed out that the zone has the highest number of registered voters and had produced three democratically elected presidents – Shehu Shagari, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari.

It also produced three military heads of state – Murtala Mohammed, Muhammadu Buhari and Sani Abacha.

He added, “North West had the highest number of Inspector Generals of Police.

“Yet the region is grossly undeveloped and lags behind in education. The zone has the largest number of out of school children and the highest number of Almajiris, poorly equipped schools, hospitals, bad roads etc.

“The zone is neglected by past and present leaders. Agriculture which is the mainstream of the region is neglected in spite of abundant, fruitful land mass.

“There is no political will to engage in large scale farming. Certainly, there is no commitment from state governors in the region to invest in commercial farming and livestock development.

“The region has abundant solid minerals including gold, copper, rhodium, gem stones, kaolin, berates and lithium. Sadly, there is no political will to develop these mineral resources since the discovery of oil.

“The remote causes of insecurity in the zone include corruption, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, poor governance, weak judicial system, weak security apparatus, porous borders, drug abuse, weak traditional institutions, influx of illegal Fulani aliens through land borders and proliferation of small and lighter arms and ammunition by unauthorised persons.

“It is amazing that governors in the region have been receiving monthly statutory allocations from the Federal Government since the inception of democratic governance in 1999, yet the region is underdeveloped. The resources are carelessly misappropriated, misapplied and siphoned for personal enrichment.

“Illiteracy is one of the major causes of armed banditry and related crimes. Most of the bandits are uneducated both in western and Islamic education. Leaders in the zone failed to invest in education, in building primary and secondary schools, adult education and Almajiri schools. They left the children to roam about the streets begging, sadly many of them were recruited into armed banditry, terrorism and other social crimes.

“The existing schools are not renovated and equipped let alone building new schools. School teachers are not motivated and are underpaid. Many governors stopped paying NECO and WAEC fees and scholarships to local and international students.

“It is evident that the lack of political will by governors to develop the education sector in the region gave birth to the high rate of illiteracy in the zone.

“The governors refused to invest in agro-allied industry that would have created jobs for millions of youth. There would be agriculture extension workers who would educate farmers in modern farming techniques, processing and marketing of agricultural produce.

“If governors are committed in food production by providing tractors, harvesters, sprayers, insecticides, pesticides and farmers credit schemes, the region will feed the nation and export some agricultural produce.

“Due to widespread armed banditry, cattle rustling, herders – farmers clashes, kidnapping for ransom, displacement of innocent people from their ancestral homes, millions of small and large scale farmers deserted their farmlands which exacerbated food crisis in the region in particular and the nation in general.

“The Bureau of Statistics recently released data that showed North West geopolitical zone has the highest number of poverty rate in Nigeria. Activities of bandits have brought economic stagnation in the region as people could no longer go about their legitimate business for fear of being kidnapped or killed by bandits.

“Many who were kidnapped sold their farmlands and houses to pay for ransom demanded by their captors. This further impoverished the people. Governors lack the political will to tackle the problem, instead they divert funds for development to use to buy votes during elections and bribe electoral officers to hang on to power.

“It is obvious that corruption is the root cause of bad governance, unemployment and banditry. Governors in the region receive monthly statutory allocations from the Federal Government, allot billions of naira as security votes and will not provide funds to conventional security agencies to crush terrorism in the region. Security personnel in the zone are understaffed, poorly equipped and unappreciated.”