The Prize for Banditry

Punishment may no longer be the only reward for crime, at least not in Nigeria. In the last ten years, insecurity has skyrocketed, deaths counting in thousands and displacements in millions. Huge resources have also been budgeted and expended to address the surge of violence and non-state armed groups in the country. However, these efforts have not solved the consistently unfolding crises.

The Niger Delta militancy procured a capital-intensive amnesty to restore what many refer to as a fragile peace. The over a decade Northeast warfare is witnessing amnesty programme for low-risk ex-jihadist fighters. In the Northwest region that has, in the past few years, doubled as Nigeria’s unofficial theatre of violence and the epicentre of banditry, affected state governments have reached versions of peace deals with bandits. In the North Central, the Benue state government is also appeasing bandits with amnesty deal. Yet, the problem of armed banditry in the country remains unresolved.

However, unsustainable, the culture of exoneration has become Nigeria’s ingenious way of managing insecurity and rewarding bad behaviour. For instance, in the past few months, residents of Katsina state have taken to the streets to register concerns about the volatility of their communities as the state continue to witness an unprecedented level of armed banditry. And on 15th September 2020, the state government reportedly announced its intention to reward bandits willing to surrender and handover arms with houses, market stalls and farmlands. A move that means government wants to initiate a form of a prize-giving amnesty deal for bandits. It is now abundantly crystal that government is unable to solve the crises, hence, the ill-thought and faulty amnesty. In 2019, Zamfara state took a slightly similar route to arrest the bandits’ violence, but the achieved peace was fleeting as the violence continued after a short while.

Government must learn crucial lessons from the Niger Delta story. Currently, the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for ex-militants is a throbbing headache for the Nigerian government and other relevant stakeholders. This is due to the manner the amnesty programme was hastily packaged to restore peace. Nextier SPD’s ten months of study on the PAP proffers recommendations for resolving ill-conceived amnesty in 2009. The plan of Katsina state government may become another case in hand. Nextier SPD’s report on the PAP has shown the tendency of amnesty to promote a sense of entitlement detrimental to policy actions.

The idea of rewarding repentant bandits in Katsina state with gifts poses numerous consequences. First, there is no inventory or identification process for bandits as was the case in the Niger Delta. Second, there is no robust conceptualisation of banditry and who qualifies as a bandit. Third, the policy is another reward for criminality. Fourth, it will create room for crime surge in hope for government’s attention and reward.

Alternatively, government must seek to understand the root causes of banditry and communal wars in the state beyond socio-political lenses. Security agencies must be charged to improve combat action in the area with the aid of community members. Community actors have essential roles to play in the securitisation of the rural zones. Their collaboration will improve the efficiency of security personnel. In a broader framework, there is a need for a region-wide action for the Northwest as most parts of the region is undergoing the menace of banditry, communal wars and identity-related conflict. In addressing today’s violence, government must ensure it is not creating the conditions that will trigger violence tomorrow.