“Bandits Are Not Alone” — Ex-NYSC DG Claims Those in Power Are Supporting Them

A former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga (retd.), has allege that bandits terrorising communities may be receiving backing from powerful individuals in government and other positions of authority.

Tsiga made the revelation in Kaduna while addressing journalists at a press conference organised by colleagues, associates and friends of late Major-General Rabe Abubakar (retd.), who died while in captivity after he was abducted by bandits in Katsina State.

The retired military officer, who was also kidnapped earlier this year from his hometown in Katsina, spoke extensively about his experience in captivity and the disturbing things he witnessed during the period.

According to him, his time with the bandits exposed a deeply troubling support system operating beyond the forests, involving informants, logistics suppliers and individuals allegedly connected to positions of influence.

Tsiga said the growing sophistication of bandit operations suggests that criminal gangs are not acting alone, stressing that their ability to continue attacks despite repeated military offensives points to strong support networks.

He warned that any effort to end banditry in Northern Nigeria would fail unless authorities focus not only on the armed groups in the forests but also on those supplying them with intelligence, weapons and other operational support.

Speaking on ongoing discussions around negotiations with bandits, Tsiga expressed doubt over the effectiveness of such approaches if the real sponsors remain untouched.

“It depends on who you are negotiating with and how committed and dedicated we are in making that negotiation,” he said.

“I am telling you that no matter what, and no matter the arrangement of negotiation, we are not going to have it easy with these bandits. We must follow them aggressively. We should not forget one thing: these people are human beings like us. They fear death.

“When we were in captivity, they feared death. They feared anybody who would come and challenge them, fight them and finish them.”

Tsiga further shared one of the shocking incidents he witnessed while in captivity, revealing how a suspected supplier contacted a bandit leader in the middle of the night to discuss ammunition supply.

According to him, the conversation raised serious questions about who exactly is enabling the continued operation of bandit groups across the North.

“One of the days I was there around 2 a.m., this issue came up. Somebody called and said, ‘Please, Kachala, are you ready to buy 10 cartons of ammunition?’”

“He said, ‘Yes, but let me finish with one old man.’ When he finished talking and was talking to me, I asked him jokingly, ‘Put me inside this business now.’”

“He said, ‘Who are you? You are a retired general. You don’t have office. We are talking to people who are in office now,’” Tsiga recounted.

The former NYSC boss said that response left him deeply disturbed, noting that it reinforced fears that some individuals currently holding public offices may be indirectly aiding criminal activities.

He insisted that the battle against insecurity requires a broader and more strategic approach, one that dismantles the entire structure sustaining banditry.

Tsiga maintained that as long as these support networks remain active, restoring peace across the North will remain difficult.