Retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has shared details of his harrowing experience in the hands of bandits, insisting that Nigeria cannot defeat banditry unless authorities dismantle the network of informants, arms dealers and suppliers sustaining criminal groups.
The retired senior military officer, who spent nearly two months in captivity after being abducted by bandits, spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Kaduna over the weekend.
Drawing from his firsthand experience, Tsiga argued that negotiations with bandits alone would not provide a lasting solution to the country’s worsening security crisis, stressing that criminal groups are supported by a wider network of collaborators who profit from insecurity.
While acknowledging that security is a collective responsibility, the retired general maintained that a more aggressive strategy targeting those who supply weapons, ammunition, fuel, food, and intelligence to bandit groups is necessary to end the menace.
“It depends on who you are negotiating with and how committed we are to making such negotiations work,” Tsiga said.
“From what I observed during my time in captivity, no matter the arrangement for negotiations, we are not going to have it easy with these bandits. We must pursue them aggressively.”
According to him, bandits are not invincible and often live in fear of military operations and rival armed groups.
“These people are human beings like us. They fear death. While we were in captivity, I saw that they were constantly afraid of being attacked or challenged by security forces or other groups,” he stated.
Tsiga, however, argued that focusing solely on the armed criminals ignores the broader ecosystem enabling their operations.
“It is not only the bandits that matter. What about the people assisting them? The informers, the suppliers and others supporting them are also Nigerians and cannot be ignored,” he said.
He warned that individuals benefiting financially from banditry would resist any peace process that threatens their interests.
“If you negotiate with the bandits but the informers and suppliers stop making money, they will not support any negotiation. They are part of the problem,” he added.
Recounting one of the incidents he witnessed while in captivity, Tsiga revealed that bandit leaders maintained communication with individuals allegedly involved in the illegal supply of ammunition.
“One day around 2 am, someone called the bandits asking if they were ready to buy 10 cartons of ammunition. Their leader said yes, but added that he wanted to finish dealing with an old man first, referring to me,” he recounted.
According to Tsiga, when he jokingly asked to be included in the transaction, the bandit leader dismissed him, claiming he no longer held any position of influence.
“He told me, ‘You are a retired general; you no longer have an office. We are talking to people who are currently in office,’” Tsiga said.
The retired military officer said the encounter convinced him that some individuals within official circles may be aiding criminal activities for personal gain.
“The suppliers are there. Bad eggs in government are there. They will not allow serious negotiations to succeed because they are interested in what they can gain, not in protecting lives and property,” he alleged.
He urged the Federal Government, security agencies, and citizens to unite in confronting those behind the logistics and financing of bandit operations.
“We should not be fooling ourselves. I sincerely advise government, security agencies and the people that we must move aggressively to ensure these people understand that the nation is determined to defeat them,” he said.
Tsiga’s remarks come amid growing national debate over whether dialogue, military force or a combination of both offers the most effective strategy for tackling banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime across northern Nigeria.
@ Nigerian Tribune
