The former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retired), has called on the military leadership, headed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, to put an end to banditry and killings in Nigeria “as soon as possible.”

The retired general, now in his eighties, made this demand on Tuesday in Abuja during the launch of a book titled, Big Boots: Lessons From My Military Service, authored by Major General Solomon Udounwa (retired).

Speaking to both serving and retired military officers, including the current defence chief present at the event, General Danjuma emphasised that the responsibility to end the menace of banditry and senseless killings across the country rested squarely on the shoulders of the serving officers.

He stated, “We must put an end to the banditry and killings taking place in our country as soon as possible. The responsibility lies with you, those of you still in service. No excuses, absolutely no excuses. God bless you. God bless our country.”

In response, General Musa assured Danjuma that the Armed Forces would not be deterred by the challenges they face in combating banditry and terrorism. He promised that the military would bring the perpetrators to their knees.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces are willing, dedicated, and committed to restoring peace and security in our beloved country,” said General Musa. “We will not be discouraged. I want to assure you that we have learnt a great deal from your example. We cannot afford to fail, and we will not fail.”

Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones have been plagued by marauding groups, commonly referred to as bandits.

A recent report by security intelligence firm SBM Intelligence revealed that Nigerians paid ₦1.04 billion in ransom to kidnappers in the past year. The firm reported that during the period under review, at least 7,568 individuals were abducted in 1,130 incidents nationwide.

The report further stated, “In that same period, kidnappers demanded at least ₦10,995,090,000 (approximately $6,871,931) in ransom but received only ₦1,048,110,000, a mere 9.5% of the demanded amount. This indicates that kidnappers have become less selective in choosing their victims.

“Of the 1,130 reported kidnapping cases, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina recorded the highest numbers of incidents and victims. Zamfara witnessed 132 incidents involving 1,639 victims, Kaduna had 113 incidents with 1,113 victims, and Katsina reported 119 incidents involving 887 victims,” the report added.

The firm also noted that, on average, a life is lost during every attempted kidnapping.