Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, predicts that it will take decades to overcome banditry in North-West Nigeria. Speaking at the North-West Peace and Security Summit, he emphasized the need for a collective effort to address the region’s security challenges.
The President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, has warned that it could take decades for the North-West region of Nigeria to overcome the challenges of banditry and insecurity.
Speaking on Monday at the North-West Peace and Security Summit held in Katsina State, Sultan Abubakar highlighted the severe consequences of ongoing banditry and insurgency in the region.
“What we must do is to challenge these bandits because we all know the consequences of banditry and insurgency on our lives. But it will take decades to get out of it, if at all we get out of it. We all know the consequences and the problems,” he stated.
The Sultan expressed the readiness of traditional rulers to collaborate with security agencies and Northern governors to “save our region from the numerous problems” caused by banditry and insurgency. He emphasized that the summit aims to produce actionable proposals to significantly reduce insurgency, allowing people to resume their normal lives and businesses.
In recent years, the North-West states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, and Jigawa have been plagued by violent banditry. Thousands of vulnerable people have been killed or displaced by these marauders, who often disguise themselves as herders.
Sultan Abubakar’s comments underscore the urgency and complexity of addressing the security crisis in Northern Nigeria, calling for a unified approach to restore peace and stability in the region.