Researchers, security and intelligence agencies have called for the de-politicisation of the fight against bandits and banditry in the country.
This was the position at an online stakeholders engagement between researchers on a TETFUND project titled “Armed bandits and banditry in Nigeria: history, character and panacea” led by Jide Akanji of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan as the principal investigator (PI) and six other researchers.
The two-hour online discussion featured contributions on the history, causes and solutions to banditry in Nigeria with a call for inter-agency collaboration to collectively fight the criminals and triumph in providing safety for lives and property.
Participants at the stakeholders’ engagement were drawn from the air force, ministry of defence headquarters, Action Aid, police, army, navy, DSS, civil defence, and Oyo State security network- Amotekun.
Akanji stated that the research was interested in understanding the perspectives of the security and intelligence community on the issue of banditry.
Read also: Nigeria’s security and the general elections
Speakers at the discussion observed that while communities have the capacity to fight bandits, the causes of banditry which include “poverty, unemployment, ungoverned spaces, poorly motivated workforce, get-rich-quick syndrome and moral bankruptcy among politicians must be tackled”.
Worried about the rate at which police personnel are killed and logistics destroyed, they called on the government to provide social security for those involved in the fight against banditry and their families of deceased persons.
The stakeholders asked the government to reclaim vast forests for gainful use, stating that forest spaces were being used as hideouts for criminals in Nigeria.
While thanking participants for providing useful insights from their respective agencies, Akanji said the research was aimed at touching states experiencing banditry with a view to providing evidence-based solutions to the government.
Adebimpe Adenugba, the co-moderator of the event, stated that the research would proceed with the training of researchers and data collection before entering the field, adding that the security situation in Nigeria was already threatening the peace and unity of the country.
