There is palpable fear among youths and community leaders over the alleged release of the family members and terror fighters of Gwoska Dankarami, a notorious bandit kingpin in Zamfara State.
Sources confirmed that the mother and foot soldiers of Dankarami were recently intercepted and detained by security operatives while they were returning from Hajj (pilgrimage), in one of the airports in North West Nigeria.
But weeks ago, security services were allegedly directed “by powers from above” to release Dankarami’s mother and his ‘boys’.
In return, Dankarami also released some female students he had kept captives for months.
PRNigeria gathered that since the inauguration of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security and intelligence officials have discreetly engaged top bandis in dialogue towards peace pacts and possible amnesty programmes.
According to a security source in the North West, kidnapping for ransom by terrorists is on the rise, especially in Zamfara State.
“The bandits are now sophisticated using multimedia in producing audio-visual targeted at communities, families of kidnapped victims and security agencies for ransom negotiations, together with the release of their arrested members and early warning of attacks.
“The technique was deployed in the production of a video on the plight of abducted female Students of Zamfara college of Arts and Sciences (ZACAS) Gusau.
“A widow and mother of one of the girls fainted and died suddenly after watching one of the traumatic scenes of her daughter in the video,” the source said.
Bandits have now carved special axes for their operations, turning some communities and villages ungovernable and no-go areas
PRNigeria discovered that while Dankarami’s gangs operate in Zurmi, Birnin Magaji and Kaura axis, the notorious Bello Turji operating from Shinkafi and has wider networks in other local governments and parts of Sokoto.
Similarly Ado Haliru operates in Chafe, Gusau, and part of Funtua in Katsina; Halilu Sububu’s boys dominate Zurmi and Maradun; Nasama Nasawari operates within Birnin Magaji, while Dan Saade operates mostly in Bungudu and kaura.
While military operations, especially airstrikes are sustained, there are call for political will towards the eradication of banditry in the state.
A political scientist and an indigene of Zamfara who lectures at one of the federal university told PRNigeria, the situation is becoming worrisome.
Appealing for the intervention of the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and thr Ministry of Defence in acting decisively against the bandits, the scholar said that the state government is limited by the constitution on the issues of counter-insurgency.
The academic who pleaded anonymity, said: “We are calling on NSA Nuhu Ribadu, the two Defence Ministers, Abubakar Badaru and Bello Matawalle, who are also from the North to as a matter of urgency develop strategies to deal decisively with masterminds, kingpins, collaborators and bandits’ informants.
“In less than one month of the so-called peace move, banditry still remains almost a daily occurrence. Just recently, a mother and her daughter were abducted in Chafe; husband and wife in Kaura Namode, Traders in Bukuyyum and wife of security personel in Gusau among others. Residents are even afraid to leave their homes for safety,” he concluded.
By PRNigeria