Bandit kingpin Abu Sanni has said that insecurity in Nigeria has become a business everyone, including the government, benefits from. He said this in a documentary released yesterday by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Africa Eye.

Yusuf Anka, a journalist who crisscrossed remote bandit enclaves in the state, undertook the 50 minutes documentary titled The Bandit Warlords of Zamfara.

The BBC documentary sheds light on the mindset of bandit leaders, the booming nature of the kidnap-for-ransom business and how insecurity in Zamfara State may have been triggered by ethnic conflict between Hausa and Fulani groups.

The bandits who spoke with the BBC team accused the government of neglecting them and giving priority to the Hausa community.

Sanni said the 279 schoolgirls who were kidnapped on February 27, 2021, in Jangebe, Talata-Mafara Local Council area, Zamfara State by his gang was done to disgrace the government as revenge for sending the military after them.

He said his gang demanded N300 million from the government for the release of the schoolgirls but N60 million was paid.

“When the rainy season ended, they sent the military after us. We decided to show the government they should not interfere in our problems. We went to Jangebe and took the students. We wanted to get the government angry,” he said.

“We demanded N300 million but after negotiations, N60 million was paid for their release.”

When asked what the money for the ransom was used for, he said the proceeds was spent on buying riffles.

“Everyone is benefiting from terrorism in Nigeria, including the government, from top to bottom. The government get money, though, for our money, blood spill.” (The Guardian)

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