The criminal economy of banditry and the conflict economy in northern Nigeria is expanding rapidly. Millions of naira are paid as ransom daily to these bandits and kidnappers, making it a very lucrative business. Part of these payments are allegedly invested in procuring more weapons that are leased out to other upcoming gangs to expand their criminal circle. The camps continue to proliferate. The poor and uncoordinated government response also continue to embolden these criminals.
Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, remains under the siege of kidnappers and bandits. One of the local government areas most affected is Bwari. This is despite the fact that it houses major government establishments like the Nigerian Law School, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and a military base. In July, it was the turn of Guyo and Piwaye communities, which were invaded by attackers numbering more than thirty. These bandits reportedly operated for more than three hours and later left at their convenience. Later in August, another set of gunmen invaded the area around midnight, subjected it to heavy gunfire and later swooped on a home in Tudun Fulani extension, where they abducted a family of four. The same day, a similar incident took place in Ushafa, where two families were attacked. One of the victims, a businessman said to own a bar nearby, was shot dead on the spot by his abductors, who took his wife and daughter away.
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The journey from Bwari to the camp in Kachia was a torture.
It was raining that evening when the residents reportedly heard loud knocks on the doors. According to eye witness reports, the bandits attempted to scale the fence before their victim fearfully opened the door. As soon as they came in, they shot the man in the arm and later on his chest. While he was reeling in pain and shouting for help, they took his wife and daughter away. There were five abductees in total following the operation: one man, two women and two young girls. They set out on a journey trekking on foot through a bush path suspected to be a grazing route from Bwari to Kachia in Kaduna State. The journey took a harrowing three days before they arrived at their destination. The hostages were said to be very tired and hungry on arrival, and their feet were sore. The only man among them felt very sick and was released the day they arrived.
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Gang leaders are in touch with one another, exchanging weapons, captives and logistics.
On arrival, the abductees found that there were about twenty-three other persons held in makeshift tents constructed in the camp by the kidnappers. The gang is headed by Dogo (likely a pseudonym), who also doubled as the chief negotiator for ransoms. According to him, he does not engage in kidnapping and hardly leaves his camp unless on special assignments to bring weapons for operations from other camps. The two women reportedly spent thirteen days in the camp before they were released. Their wounded legs had been infected and started showing signs of rot, forcing the kidnappers to release them.
Soldiers manning checkpoints are fully aware of the operations of these bandits but tend to turn blind eyes. Revelations from released abductees suggest that some of these security personnel have either become helpless or complacent. Rather than attempt to apprehend these criminals, they tend to enable them.
Bandits were firm and professional in their negotiations.
The negotiations were led by Dogo who initially wanted thirty million naira to release the two young girls. After days of bargaining, the bandits agreed to take five million naira. After the agreement, parties suggested that the ransom should be delivered by motorcyclists, who were asked to bring along other items like two bags of marijuana, sixty thousand naira worth of recharge cards, two cartons of energy drink, two gallons of oil, two cartons of soft drink, two rolls of cigarette, three android phones, power banks, clippers, among others. The messengers took these items to a location near a river in Kachia, Kaduna State, where the abductors came to collect them. Rather than release the hostages as agreed with the negotiators, the abductors seized the messengers, forced them to drink unknown substances suspected to be drugs, took their motorbikes away and demanded more money.
Military personnel in Kachia demanded pay to offer access to those coming to pay the ransom.
The surge of insecurity in Kaduna is interesting, as it is one of the states with a formidable military presence. Kachia Local Government allegedly serves as an operational base for many bandits and houses major security establishments like the Nigeria Army School of Artillery, as well as the Navy School of Armament Technology. In 2017, one of the structures in the military base was attacked. Till date, attacks by bandits occur on a regular basis, often involving victims, including defenceless women and children. Many of these gunmen target traditional rulers and students from predominantly Christian communities. The area also has a history of clashes between farmers and herders, sometimes spreading to attacks on churches.
Residents in the satellite towns in Abuja continue to live at risk. Many houses have been abandoned out of fear of insecurity. Observers have made peace with the fact that those in charge of the capital territory prefer to spread propaganda in the media than any concrete effort to safeguard the lives of the people living in the city.
Soldiers manning checkpoints are fully aware of the operations of these bandits but tend to turn blind eyes. Revelations from released abductees suggest that some of these security personnel have either become helpless or complacent. Rather than attempt to apprehend these criminals, they tend to enable them. Eye witness accounts reveal that ransom payments, including motorbikes to be delivered to kidnappers, including ransom payments in cash, often happen with the consent of military personnel, who ask for bribes to allow the intermediaries conveying them to cross into the bush to meet up with the bandits.
The thriving conflict economy of kidnapping and banditry may not end soon.
The criminal economy of banditry and the conflict economy in northern Nigeria is expanding rapidly. Millions of naira are paid as ransom daily to these bandits and kidnappers, making it a very lucrative business. Part of these payments are allegedly invested in procuring more weapons that are leased out to other upcoming gangs to expand their criminal circle. The camps continue to proliferate. The poor and uncoordinated government response also continue to embolden these criminals. Many of their tactics and locations are known, yet their operations continue to go on almost uninterrupted, fuelling speculations that politicians may be their accomplices. The old grazing route through which they transport their victims is known to everyone. Residents in the satellite towns in Abuja continue to live at risk. Many houses have been abandoned out of fear of insecurity. Observers have made peace with the fact that those in charge of the capital territory prefer to spread propaganda in the media than any concrete effort to safeguard the lives of the people living in the city.
Uche Igwe is a scholar and senior political economy analyst. He can be reached on [email protected]
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