Former Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Colonel Sumaila Yombe (rtd.), says Nigeria will not overcome escalating banditry until security forces “physically occupy the forests” where criminal groups hide, warning that the scale, mobility and cross-border reach of the attackers continue to overwhelm available security assets.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Thursday, Yombe said bandits operating in Kebbi are not based in the state but infiltrate from neighbouring territories.
“Kebbi does not have forests where bandits hide. They come from Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger and even from outside the country,”he said.
“Until we physically occupy the forests, we cannot clear the bandits. They take advantage of vast, inaccessible terrain and the limited number of our troops.”
Yombe welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency and his directive to recruit more soldiers, police officers and guards, alongside the accelerated creation of state police.
“I appreciate Mr President for deciding that we must reinforce our security assets. The problem has escalated, and the forces available are not enough to deal with it,”he said.
“By the time state police are formed and more security assets are available, we will be able to deal with the situation amicably.”
Reacting to reports that abducted Kebbi schoolchildren were found Niger state, Yombe said the terrain there has become a major operational base for bandits.
“Niger has a large portion of forest where these bandits hide. The terrain is difficult to traverse and that’s why they take advantage of it,”he explained.
He described the attackers as highly mobile, emerging unexpectedly and vanishing into difficult terrain.
“You can’t send 50 men to fight 300. These criminals appear from a direction you least expect and disappear towards another you cannot anticipate,”he said.
Speaking on the kidnapping of the Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Yombe said the perpetrators crossed from outside Nigeria, struck quickly, and retreated.
“They came into the mosque, abducted him, and rode motorcycles back into the forest outside Nigeria. Our security agents went in to get him,”he said.
“These guys are scared to die too. Once you offer resistance, they abandon the mission and run.”
Responding to concerns about political abuse of state police, Yombe insisted the idea is workable if the right structures are set.
“State police will work. We have very good police officers. You only have problems when you have bad leadership,”he said.
“Yes, politicians can abuse security agencies, but everyone now knows the price of insecurity. We must rearrange our minds to handle this situation in peace.”
Yombe urged the federal government to recall ex-soldiers who still have the strength to serve, arguing that they would boost manpower faster and cheaper than new recruits.
“We have a large concentration of ex-servicemen who can be recalled immediately. Time is of essence. They can guard the rear while the younger ones go to fight,”he said.
“The love of the country is enough motivation. Many retired officers are ready to return.”
He supported the government’s plan to encourage herders to work with the Ministry of Livestock, but said ranches must be developed before open grazing can end.
“Herders are highly mobile because they move where there is feed. If we want to stop that movement, we must create ranches with adequate grass and water,”he said.
“Provide the facilities first, and they will settle.”
Yombe stressed the need to seal porous borders that allow foreign criminal groups, including those he identified as “Luknawas,” to cross in and out freely.
“They come from Niger into Kebbi, create havoc, and ride back. Once we defend the borders properly, they cannot penetrate,”he said.
He concluded that Nigeria’s insecurity challenge requires manpower, weapons, terrain control and coordinated political will.
Boluwatife Enome
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