By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi
For years, bandits and their dastardly activities have remained, not only a blot on the serving government, the security agencies, defenceless Nigerians, especially in the north west, but also life ending menaces, with many people believing that the outlaws are deliberately allowed to continue their condemnable activities because of the ‘illegal fortune’ made by those who are supposed to stop them.
Of equal, or even deadlier, menace to the society they operate, are the conscienceless informers, who report to the bandits on specific targets for attack, and most often their reward at the beginning or end of the ‘assignment’ by the dreaded outlaws, is a mere stipend compared to the loss, or damages or even the loss of live suffered by the victim or victims, as the case may be.
Some of the informers are related, or even closely related, to the person they informed on. These and other of the informers’s deadly, and sometimes, fatal, conduct, usually come to light when they make confessions to the Police following their arrest.
The recent directive given by the
Executive Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, PhD, CON, to the state Ministry of Justice to amend the extant law punishing perpetrators of banditry, and those who convey useful information to the bandits, is another giant step in the fight against banditry in the state.
The governor had already established the Community Watch Corps aimed at checkmating banditry and informers in the state. A judicial approach added to the effort would go a long way in ensuring that the outlaws and their financiers, supporters and helpers do not find it easy anymore to operate in Katsina state.
Oftentimes, the outlaws have made Katsina state, along with Zamfara and Sokoto states, their easy target so much so that there sprung up some refugees camps in the state. In particular, Katsina and Zamfara states have become some soft targets of sorts for the bandits and their helpers, the informers, making life extremely challenging in some places.
The Governor was reported to have said that: “I have ordered the office of the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to amend the Penal Code law to provide proper judgment for reporters and others involved in crimes of robbery, kidnapping, etc.”.
As a matter of necessity, the law should go the whole hog and make it punishable with death or life imprisonment without parole, to the bandits and informers whenever and wherever they are apprehended in the state. This way, the law would be made more effective in deterring the offenders from continuing with their reprehensible ways.
Other states Chief Executives should barrow a leaf from their Katsina state colleague and amend their criminal code to suit the interests of the people and punish the bandits, the informers and supporters, whichever way they do it. No law, no effort should be spared to stop banditry and other criminal activities in the country.
May God expose all those who are in one way or another connected to the bandits, and give us the appropriate protection against them.
Malam Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.
