Chief Imam of Al-Hikmah University, Kwara State, Dr Sanusi Lafiagi, has warned that the rising cases of kidnappings in Nigerian communities may be linked to internal collaborators, stressing that the fight against banditry will be futile without confronting those aiding the criminals from within.
In a strongly worded statement, Lafiagi declared, “We are the architects of our own insecurity problems. Most of the kidnap incidents in our communities are targeted kidnaps. Eyewitness reports claim that the bandits specifically invade the homes of their targets, and would sometimes even ask for their whereabouts.”
He noted that the pattern of attacks suggests either collaboration with insiders or the fact that bandits have lived among communities long enough to identify wealthy targets. However, he emphasized, “From all the various reports at my disposal, the first claim seems to be the more probable. We have internal collaborators and saboteurs amongst us, who have put their gains and proceeds from crime above communal peace and development.”
Lafiagi insisted that deploying more security operatives alone will not resolve the crisis, adding that the betrayal of trust within communities is at the root of the problem. “No matter how many guns and boots we have on the ground, if we fail to identify, expose, and deal decisively with these miscreants from within, our efforts will be in futility,” he warned.
Using a proverb to describe the situation, he said, “The moment a stranger comes into town and starts to point at the tombstone of a blind man, then, there’s no doubt that what is in play is the proverbial voice of Jacob and hand of Esaul. The bastards amongst us have grown up, and like the bastards that they are, they do not care if we are perished or impoverished by their wicked acts.”
According to him, the government has deployed operatives and adopted tactical approaches to curb banditry, but certain strategies cannot be made public to avoid alerting criminals and their backers. He added that he had met with community elders in the last 24 hours and received briefings on both government and local efforts.
While acknowledging progress, he cautioned against disunity, saying, “We cannot claim to have a successful operation where the baby was delivered successfully but the mother died from complications. The bandits and their collaborators would be happy to see us in disarray and at loggerheads with one another. It’s a psychological win for them. We must never give in to their theatrics.”
Lafiagi urged the military to intensify forest operations to flush out bandits and outlined ten steps for community members to support security efforts, including: unity of purpose, exposing informants, avoiding inflammatory statements, supporting vigilantes, forming volunteer security groups, pressuring government for more action, showing patience, rejecting ransom payments, refusing to share videos released by bandits, and engaging in prayer and fasting.
Concluding, he offered prayers for divine protection: “May Allāh protect us all!”
