Military operations alone can’t end banditry — Ribadu
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has said military operations alone cannot end banditry, calling for stronger intelligence and community partici Read More:…
Banditry has plagued Nigeria's North-west and parts of North-central Nigeria for over a decade, with armed groups engaging in mass kidnappings, village raids, cattle rustling and killings across states like Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger. Successive administrations have deployed military operations, special task forces and occasional negotiated amnesties to curb the violence, but attacks have persisted, prompting recurring debate over whether a security-only approach can resolve a crisis also linked to poverty, weak local governance, porous borders and disputes over land and grazing routes.
As National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu oversees coordination of Nigeria's security agencies and advises the presidency on strategy against banditry, terrorism and other threats. His remarks, made in Sokoto, reflect a broader policy emphasis on combining military action with intelligence-sharing, tighter border controls and community engagement. Both Punch and ThisDay report the comments similarly, though neither account yet details specific new measures, funding commitments or a timeline for implementing the expanded approach Ribadu described.