Zamfara Community’s Plan For Peace Runs Into Trouble After Awarding Bandit Chieftaincy Title

The quest for peace and the safety of Zamfara residents have prompted traditional rulers to initiate reconciliation with bandit leaders, further revealing the grave nature of insecurity in the state.

Zamfara, in the last year, has witnessed an upsurge of attacks by terrorists and rival bandit groups whose activities have claimed the lives and properties of its residents.

This has led to a recent situation where Aliyu Marafa, the Emir of Yandoton Daji, conferred a ‘repentant’ bandit kingpin, Adamu Yankuzo also known as Ada Aleru, a traditional title as the Sarkin Fulani of Tsafe Emirate.

His reasons were to deliberately hold him by his words after Aleyu earlier promised to cease fire. Still, the state governor, Bello Matawalle disassociated himself from the coronation and suspended the Emir to that effect.

Aleru, 47, is a notorious leader of various bandits’ groups terrorising Katsina, Zamfara and other neighbouring states. He has also orchestrated the killings of many in the affected states.

But his abysmal profile may not be the only reason for Matawalle’s dissociation, given the presence of some stakeholders in the event including, Zamfara Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, Mamman Tsafe; security advisor to the governor, Abubakar Dauran; Tsafe Local Government Chairman, Aminu Mudi, and representatives of the information commissioner, district heads and other traditional title holders and government officials.

Who Made Aleyu Repentant Bandit?

Matawalle’s reaction may have originated from the fury of the public due to the conferment of a known bandit with a chieftaincy title — A situation that leaves him to justify that his government is in no association with bandits.

“What it shows is the failure of a unified strategy to deal with the challenge (insecurity). There is a suggestion that this particular bandit kingpin is politically affiliated and that the presence of some state officials at his turbaning confirms this,” a security expert and founder, Beacon Consulting Limited, Kabir Adamu, told THE WHISTLER.

Zamfara has two significant communities, consisting of the Fulani and Hausa, which has incited varying conflicts such as the mass recruitment of Hausas into the vigilante’s system locally called Yansaki, as well as the profiling and targeting of Fulanis.

Other triggers include weapons proliferation, politics, weak and inefficient criminal justice and implementation of a non-kinetic approach to solving insecurity through amnesty granted to ‘repentant’ bandits, Adamu said.

But several questions beg for answers in understanding why residents take to doubtful strategies to secure their communities against banditry, and Adamu highlighted a few.

He said, “The community that conferred the title on him says he has repented. However, the question arises as to who determines when a bandit has repented? I did question the authority of the state government to grant such amnesty.

“I believe the atrocities committed by such persons go beyond what a state government can pardon. In the case of this particular bandit leader, he is alleged to have committed atrocities outside Zamfara and in Katsina state.

“Additionally, is the moral dilemma where the state has failed to protect communities as evident in the number of attacks in the state, and they (communities) now engage in self-help initiatives including this rapprochement with a bandit leader.

“Where does the state have the moral right to question the community? Finally, in the absence of a framework by the federal government to guide the state governments in dealing with banditry and its effects. This allows the proliferation of different strategies by the affected states and their communities.

Dilemma Of Adopted Strategies

Meanwhile, the coronation of Aleyu may also be linked to the call by the Zamfara government to take on arms for self-defence. Earlier in June, the state admitted that insecurity was overwhelming and asked that its residents request a gun license.

Reacting to the situation, Confidence MacHarry, a Security Analyst with SB Morgan Intelligence told THE WHISTLER that the rapprochement with bandit leaders to broker peace will “significantly impede the efforts of security officials in the state”.

He noted that the security challenges have heightened because of the sabotage by state officials.

MacHarry said the coronation may “give the community a sense of security, but turf wars by armed groups in the region are slowly becoming a thing”, adding, “What happens when he’s killed by another group?”

When asked about the state of security for the community following the government’s reaction, he said the government has a dilemma on its hand, given its authority over the traditional institution.

“It is walking a tight rope on recognition of the coronation, and if the endowment is reversed its ability to keep the people safe when reprisals happen is severely limited.

On the other hand, Adamu said, “the development could potentially disrupt the relative peace being enjoyed by the community except if government enhances rule-of-law and the implementation of an effective criminal justice system.”