One area that was adequately secured by the British colonial administration is Kaduna, a town named after crocodiles. Before the first military coup in Nigeria, it hosted 14 of Nigeria’s 19 Army facilities. Today, even with as many military bases, the security situation is unbelievably horrible. The month of March 2024 will go down as a nightmare. Kaduna State is under siege by terrorists who seem to be gaining an upper hand over defence forces. They have no inhibitions, from schools to the highway and even mosques are not spared.

On March 7, bandits moved into LEA Primary School, Kuringa, in Chikun Local Government Area. By the time they concluded operations, 287 persons, made up of teachers and students, were abducted and taken into the bush. Over the next 24 hours, the criminals struck again. Their target was a mosque in Kwasakwasa, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area. Two worshippers were shot dead while many were seized and taken away. On March 12, the state witnessed another incident. While inexplicable confusion reigned, bandits swooped on Dogon Noma and took away 14 villagers, on March 17.

It was business as usual on March 18, their next target was Kajuru where 87 persons lost their freedom and were marched into captivity. Governor Uba Sani, as Chief Security Officer of the state, is helpless. He has come up with a security trust fund aimed at giving hope to the people who have been traumatised, wondering what has become of all the military bases surrounding them. The bandits have asked for ransom in the millions.

They issued a threat that if the sum of one billion naira was not made available in 20 days, all kidnapped 287 students and teachers of the LEA Primary School will be executed. And they were serious about it. Luckily the deadline threat by the bandits was never tested as the students and teachers were released on Sunday by the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army.

President Bola Tinubu has, as usual, came out to condemn the abductions. It is always the official reaction after the deed has been done. What we expect from the Federal Government is decisive action, not words and press statements.

We have the men, the weapons and advantage. Perhaps, what is lacking is the will to extinguish this menace. The Nigerian Air Force and the Army only need to work harmoniously

It Is strange that a state where the First Division of the Nigeria Army is quartered has become a home of bandits. The lion and goat cannot coexist peacefully in the jungle. One is food to the other. That is what bandits deserve. Tinubu and Sani vowed not to negotiate with the abductors and their tough position appears to have been vindicated with the rescue of the students.

That is the way to go. Banditry in the North-West has become a golden trade where children and women are used to milk the state dry. The business is booming more than the Trans Saharan trade of yore. Tinubu must be firm. Payment of ransom has only succeeded in fuelling insecurity. The military should comb the forests and bomb the terrorists and their collaborators out of existence. A badly indebted country cannot continue to waste scarce resources on criminals.

The Nigeria Army School of Artillery is located in Kachia. With the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna and the Depot in Zaria, it hurts that bandits walk around freely in the state. We have the men, the weapons and advantage. Perhaps, what is lacking is the will to extinguish this menace. The Nigerian Air Force and the Army only need to work harmoniously. The Armed Forces are equipped with drones.

Technology goes beyond fiddling with handsets. These criminals do not appear physically, asking for ransom. They make contacts through phone calls. That is enough material to track them, wherever they hibernate or operate from. With elite military training institutions all over Kaduna, it is worrisome that our officers have not been able or have not been allowed to apply intelligence, on this rag tag army roaming the villages and urban centres.

Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, hails from Zangon Kataf, in Kaduna. We are sure sleep has not been available these past weeks. It is his duty, now, to defy all odds, politics or religion, to restore peace so that the people can sleep with both eyes closed. Questions will continue to be asked as long as criminals remain hyper active in a state blessed with the best of military and paramilitary formations. In the past, the Army made Kaduna safe. The same military can bring back that past.

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