A Nation Of 230m Population Shouldn’t Be Terrorised By 5,000 Bandits — Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has stated that a country like Nigeria with estimated 230million people should not be held to ransom with about 5,000 bandits.

He urged northern political and traditional leaders to confront insecurity with honesty, insisting that banditry is a homegrown crisis requiring collective regional action.

Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise TV on Wednesday, Sani described the creation of the Northern Security Trust Fund as “long overdue,” saying, “There have not been serious regional efforts in terms of addressing the problem since the coming of this administration.”

Sani also welcomed the suspension of illegal mining activities, stating however that it was an insufficient measure.

“Illegal miners are in cahoot with bandits, so suspension of these mining would help, but not in all ways. Most of the places where these mining activities are taking place are the places where the bandits operate” he stated.

According to him, the blurred line between criminal actors has complicated security responses.

“It is difficult to differentiate who a miner or a bandit is, and the suspension would give the military and government a way to tackle these issues,” he said.

Sani urged northern leaders to accept responsibility rather than externalise blame for insecurity, insisting, “The bandits are from the northern parts of Nigeria. From the North-West are Fulanis, and the North-East are Kanuris. I don’t believe it when people say they are from Mali or Burkina Faso.”

The former lawmaker lamented that banditry has devastated agriculture, education, and social life across the North, questioning how a nation of over 230 million could be terrorised by fewer than 5,000 armed men.

He cited incidents such as the Ibeto attack in Niger State where gunmen operated for up to 24 hours, while residents livestreamed the assault without security forces’ intervention.

“If we are truly interested in solving this problem, we can do it,” he said. “Countries like Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have smaller budgets than Nigeria, but they are doing their best to secure their territories.”

Sani further called for a collective response, urging traditional rulers, political leaders, civil society groups and northern governors to treat the crisis as an existential threat requiring coordinated action.