society

Banditry in Nigeria: When Governance Failure Becomes Armed Authority

Published

3 months ago

February 28, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Banditry in Nigeria: When Governance Failure Becomes Armed Authority

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG

“Why military force alone cannot defeat a crisis rooted in poverty, political incentives and institutional retreat.”

In large stretches of Nigeria’s Northwest, the state no longer holds a monopoly on violence or authority. Armed groups raid villages, collect levies, regulate mining routes, negotiate ransoms and enforce their own rules. This is commonly described as a “security crisis.” It is more accurate (and more troubling) to describe it as governance failure that has matured into armed parallel administration.

Banditry is not merely a breakdown of law and order. It is what happens when the social contract collapses.

Between 2018 and 2023, thousands of Nigerians were killed or abducted in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Sokoto states. Mass school kidnappings in Kankara, Jangebe and Kuriga drew global attention. Entire farming communities have been displaced, deepening food insecurity in a region already burdened by poverty. According to national data, the Northwest consistently records some of the highest poverty and out-of-school rates in the country; structural conditions that create fertile ground for recruitment into armed networks.

But statistics alone do not explain why banditry became systemic.

The roots lie in prolonged institutional retreat. Rural policing is thin. Judicial access is limited. Land governance mechanisms to resolve farmer–herder disputes remain weak or politicized. Youth unemployment remains chronically high. In many districts, citizens interact more frequently with traditional rulers or armed actors than with formal state institutions. Over time, coercive groups evolve from opportunistic criminals into structured authorities.

The 2011 collapse of Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi further intensified this trajectory. Arms proliferation across the Sahel dramatically increased the lethality and organizational capacity of non-state actors. Nigeria’s porous northern borders allowed weapons trafficking networks to expand faster than enforcement capacity. What were once communal clashes involving rudimentary weapons transformed into heavily armed insurgent-style operations.

Nigeria has seen this pattern before.

The rise of Boko Haram in the Northeast offers a cautionary precedent. In its formative years, the group was often underestimated, politically entangled, or viewed through a narrow security lens. Allegations referenced in a United Nations Panel of Experts report connected early elements of the group to political actors, including former Borno governor Ali Modu Sheriff, who has denied wrongdoing. Regardless of individual culpability, the broader institutional lesson is clear: political systems that tolerate, manipulate, or underestimate armed movements risk enabling forces that ultimately escape all control.

Today’s bandit formations in the Northwest differ ideologically from Boko Haram, but they share structural similarities: they emerged where governance deficits were deepest.

The political economy of insecurity complicates resolution. Kidnapping-for-ransom has become a multi-million-naira industry. Informal taxation systems imposed by armed groups generate steady revenue. Illicit gold mining operations flourish under armed protection. Meanwhile, security votes allocated to state executives remain largely unaudited, and emergency procurement frameworks often operate with limited transparency. When instability expands discretionary authority or financial opacity, reform incentives weaken.

This incentive distortion is central. Sustainable peace requires that the political and financial costs of insecurity outweigh any perceived benefits derived from it.

Military force remains necessary. Territorial recovery and civilian protection demand it. However, purely kinetic responses cannot dismantle recruitment ecosystems rooted in poverty, illiteracy, land disputes, and institutional distrust. Each successful operation that clears a forest camp without restoring governance presence creates only temporary stability.

The deeper crisis is absence of state legitimacy in rural zones. Where courts are inaccessible, armed arbiters emerge. Where taxation yields no visible services, alternative collectors impose their own levies. Where young men perceive no economic pathway, armed entrepreneurship becomes rational.

Reversing this trajectory requires structural intervention:

Institutionalized farmer–herder mediation mechanisms with enforceable land titling frameworks.

Rural education investment targeting out-of-school populations vulnerable to recruitment.

Transparent auditing of security expenditures to realign incentive structures.

Border security cooperation with Sahelian neighbors focused on arms tracing.

Targeted agricultural modernization and rural employment programs.

Crucially, governance must return visibly and credibly; not as episodic military convoys, but as functioning courts, schools, healthcare systems and accountable budgeting processes.

Nigeria’s banditry crisis is not accidental. It is the predictable outcome of prolonged neglect intersecting with regional destabilization and distorted political incentives. The language of “war against bandits” obscures the more urgent imperative: reconstruction of state authority through legitimacy, transparency and service delivery.

Until governance reaches the villages, forests will continue to produce armed alternatives.

And no volume of airpower can permanently defeat a vacuum.

society

Dr. Bernard Shiaunda Eete Mobilizes Loyalists Ahead of Kenya’s General Election

Published

10 hours ago

May 25, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Dr. Bernard Shiaunda Eete Mobilizes Loyalists Ahead of Kenya’s General Election

Ahead of Kenya’s 2027 general election, Nyanza ODM aspirant Dr. Bernard Shiaunda Eete, popularly known as Dumex3, has intensified grassroots mobilization by holding a strategic meeting with his loyalists across the region. The gathering was aimed at aligning his team, refining campaign strategies, and positioning the movement for a decisive outcome at the polls.

The meeting provided an important platform for open consultation, idea exchange, and consensus building. Dr. Eete emphasized the need for unity, discipline, and clear communication as the campaign enters a critical phase. According to attendees, the discussions focused on strengthening the political structure on the ground, addressing community concerns, and ensuring that the movement remains responsive to the aspirations of the people.

A key focus was Dr. Eete’s developmental agenda for Nyanza. He outlined his commitments to education, youth empowerment, healthcare access, and infrastructure development, noting that these areas remain central to transforming lives in the region. He urged his loyalists to carry the message to the grassroots, explaining both what has been achieved so far and what the region stands to gain if they rally behind his candidacy.

“This is not just about winning an election. It’s about building a stronger, united political movement that delivers real change for our people,” Dr. Eete told the gathering. He called on his supporters to remain focused, avoid divisive rhetoric, and engage voters with facts about his track record and plans.

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment from the loyalists to expand outreach, coordinate ward-level activities, and mobilize voters ahead of party primaries and the general election. Organizers described the session as productive, noting that it sharpened the team’s resolve and clarified immediate next steps.

As political activity heats up in Nyanza, Dr. Eete’s camp says the strategy is clear: consolidate support, communicate consistently, and deliver a campaign anchored on service and results.

Live update from Kenya by Hon. Babatunde Seidu, Youths Ambassador._

society

Mayor of Brampton Honours Olajumoke Abegunde For Charitable Works

Published

15 hours ago

May 25, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Mayor of Brampton Honours Olajumoke Abegunde For Charitable Works

…Foundation Touches Over 8,000 Women, Widows, and Youth in Ondo State…..

…Collaborates with International Partners for Free Skill Acquisition in Canada…

For Chief Mrs. Olajumoke Abegunde, the act of touching lives positively and contributing meaningfully to societal development is not merely a pastime but a deeply ingrained existential mandate. With unwavering gusto, she has remained faithful to this noble vision, championing the esoteric principle that cheerful giving and advocacy for the downtrodden are responsibilities too sacred to be left exclusively in the hands of the government.

This resolute philosophy has not only engendered transformative impact within her immediate locality but has also catapulted her onto the global stage. Recently, her passionate charitable exertions—executed both within and outside the shores of Nigeria—earned her prestigious international recognition.

A Legacy of Grassroots Transformation

As the visionary founder of the Jummy I Care Foundation, Chief Mrs. Abegunde has systematically dismantled barriers of vulnerability across Ondo State. Through sustained philanthropic gestures, she has disbursed extensive humanitarian relief and social assistance to over 3,000 indigent widows and elderly persons. In parallel, her foundation has galvanized robust support for orphaned and vulnerable children while orchestrating an ambitious women’s empowerment programme. To date, over 5,000 women have benefited from skills acquisition and income-generating activities designed to cultivate self-reliance and entrepreneurial audacity. Many of these beneficiaries have also received start-up seed capital to establish their own enterprises.

A proud alumna of Criminology and Security Studies from the National Open University of Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Abegunde has also distinguished herself as a patron of youth development. She has sponsored numerous essay writing and entrepreneurship competitions across Ondo State, in addition to funding medical outreaches, orphanage interventions, Iftar and Easter entrepreneurship programmes, and sustained feeding initiatives for the less privileged.

Her core philosophy remains immutable: when those who are well-to-do invest strategically in their immediate society, the collective becomes safer, more stable, and poised for greater heights.

International Collaboration and Brampton Honour

In a decisive move to intensify her developmental footprint, the Jummy I Care Foundation recently entered into a strategic tripartite collaboration with the Habeeb Okunola Foundation and the MakeMee Elegant Foundation. Together, they delivered a gratuitous, high-impact skill acquisition training programme to residents of Brampton, Canada.

Participants were immersed in an array of artisan crafts, including the production of resin bags, photo books, picture otters, resin key holders and frame holders, ornamental flower vases, rhinestone embellishment, and the advanced technique of printing images on fabrics.

In a ceremonial recognition of her sustained benevolence, the Mayor of Brampton formally hosted Chief Mrs. Abegunde and her delegation at the mayor’s office. The mayor personally expressed profound gratitude for her unwavering support of community development and entrepreneurship. As a tangible emblem of this appreciation, she was presented with a personally signed certificate of appreciation and commendation.

Unwavering Commitment to the Future

While accepting the honour, Chief Mrs. Olajumoke Abegunde reaffirmed her immutable resolve. She declared that her commitment to touching lives remains absolute and non-negotiable. According to her, she will not relent in ensuring that more lives are touched, more support is channeled to the people, and greater stability is secured for communities. She further emphasized her dedication to cultivating the spirit of entrepreneurship among women and youths as a cornerstone for sustainable development.

With over 8,000 direct beneficiaries in Nigeria alone and an expanding international footprint, Chief Mrs. Abegunde stands as a formidable testament to the profound change one determined philanthropist can effectuate when passion meets purpose.

society

APM Senatorial Candidate Ajadi Distributes Over 500 Bags of Rice

Published

17 hours ago

May 25, 2026

Sahara Weekly

APM Senatorial Candidate Ajadi Distributes Over 500 Bags of Rice

The Senatorial candidate of Oyo Central Senatorial District under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has distributed over 500 bags of rice to residents, party members, state executives, and key stakeholders across Oyo State ahead of the forthcoming Eid al-Adha celebration.

The gesture, which forms part of his annual humanitarian outreach, was aimed at easing economic hardship and strengthening unity among party executives, party members, and residents within the senatorial district during the festive period.

Ajadi said the distribution was a continuation of his commitment to supporting vulnerable households and fostering community solidarity, especially at a time when many families are facing rising food prices and economic pressure.

He explained that Eid al-Adha is rooted in sacrifice, sharing, and compassion, adding that political leadership must consistently reflect empathy for the people, regardless of political affiliation or election cycles.

According to him, the intervention was extended to party executives, grassroots mobilizers, youth groups, and key stakeholders across the senatorial district to ensure equitable distribution across different segments of the political structure in Oyo State.

Ajadi further noted that the initiative was designed to complement household food needs during the festive season, stressing that small acts of support can significantly ease the burden on families affected by economic challenges.
He urged political leaders at all levels to prioritize welfare-driven initiatives that have direct impact on citizens, emphasizing that leadership should go beyond campaigns to sustained service delivery and humanitarian engagement.

Beneficiaries of the rice distribution expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as timely and thoughtful amid rising food costs across the country.

They commended Ajadi for maintaining close contact with grassroots members and consistently demonstrating what they described as people-oriented leadership.

The distribution exercise was carried out across selected locations within Oyo Central Senatorial District and coordinated through local party structures to ensure fairness and orderly sharing.

Political observers in the state noted that such interventions have become a key feature of political engagement in Nigeria, particularly during festive seasons, as politicians seek to connect with constituents beyond electoral promises.

As the Eid al-Adha celebration approaches, Ajadi reaffirmed his commitment to continuing similar initiatives aimed at supporting families and promoting unity among residents of Oyo State.