By Olukorede Yishau
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind. — Genesis 9:6
FROM KOGI to Kwara to Oyo, and almost every other part of Nigeria, bandits and terrorists and kidnappers appear to have taken over the reins. Nowadays, it is getting difficult to distinguish between them. There are instances when they operate like bandits, who plunder and dash into the bush to hide and share their loot. At times, they are terrorists who maim and kill and are even ready to die for what they believe in.
They have left the security agencies and the populace wondering what is going on and sadly there is no where sacred enough that these dare-devils cannot operate. They attack churches, they storm Mosques, they invade schools, they seize villages and highways. Each time they wreak havoc, the authorities spit fire but in the long run, nothing changes and the bad guys continue to reign.
Their notoriety has mounted a scary pedestal. Hardly does a day pass without them committing one evil or the other. They sneak in on people and leave sorrow and blood. They steal, they rob, and they plunder people’s lives with hot lead.
They know no class; their victims can be the bourgeoisie, the middle class and at times the poor who are daily begging to eke a livelihood.
They are so powerful that they have defied the police, the army and the secret police. Once in a while, they catch one or two or more, but largely they succeed in wreaking havoc and escaping into anonymity. They grant audience to the like of Sheik Gumi, who is doing a yeoman’s job as their mouthpiece and is always warning us to stop calling them bad names. He says they are not bad but only made worse by circumstances and are willing to turn a new leaf.
When they invade schools, they grab students— male and female— in their tens or hundreds and demand ransom in millions of naira, when they operate in churches, they grab pastors and priests, and when they operate in mosques, Imams become their prey.
They are so talented to the extent that when governments refuse to pay, they threaten the parents of the abductees and get them to cough out the money.
They have given our country a bad name. They have made foreign missions warn their citizens against travelling to certain parts of Nigeria and they seem to have no qualms. To hell with Nigeria seems to be their message. They claim Nigeria has failed them, so they see nothing wrong in failing Nigeria. What they, however, fail to realise is that in dealing with Nigeria, they are misdirecting their anger. They are turning against people who have also suffered the side effects of decades of inept leadership.
In case they do not know, millions are discontent and they are adding to the bad situation. I worry for our nation; I cry, and I wonder why they have chosen to pour pepper on our wounds.
They should know that many out there are looking for jobs that are not available. Not a few have died this week all because what we call medical centres are consulting rooms that they have been since the military era. Even the private clinics where we pay through our noses cannot compete outside of our shores.
They have become so daring that the security agents have left the people to cater for their safety needs. The situation is so bad that they exist in all tribes, in almost all states and in all geo-political zones of the country.
I do not know if they have wives, children, mothers, fathers and extended family members, what I am sure of is that blood flows in them, that they are human beings, that they live among us and that if caught they could cry and plead for mercy.
I also know that the masses who are bearing the bulk of the brunt of their madness are people who want the wrongs in the land to be corrected, who want nepotism to become a thing of the past, who want no Nigerian to feel left out because of which part of the country he or she comes from, who want an end to epileptic supply of electricity, who want schools that can compete with others in the advanced world, and who want Nigeria out of the Third World. What is wrong with being a First World?
In the light of the situation, I have a single prayer for those troubling our nation: Woe betide them.
It is a good thing that security agencies have recorded several rescue operations in recent weeks. The police recently rescued five kidnap victims in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neutralised two suspected kidnappers during an anti-kidnapping operation. The FCT Police Command also arrested several suspected kidnappers and their logistics suppliers in follow-up raids around Abuja.
In a major military operation in Borno State, the Nigerian Army rescued approximately 360 people who had been abducted by Boko Haram. The operation was described as a significant setback for the terrorist group. Military operations continue across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states, with security forces targeting insurgent camps and supply networks.
But more needs to be done because a few days ago at least 17 farmers were killed in Zamfara State in one of the latest attacks attributed to armed bandits. The attack occurred while the victims were working on their farms.
The Oyo pupils and teachers are still being held. These evil men beheaded a teacher and even put it on record. Crazy folks. Walahi.
According to data cited by Human Rights Watch, 2,938 people were kidnapped in Nigeria’s North-West between July 2024 and June 2025. Zamfara recorded the highest number of abductions.
The proposed state police reform represents the most significant structural response currently under consideration, but its effectiveness will depend on implementation and oversight.
My final take: Our leadership needs to run these gunmen out of town. They do not deserve to be in business, they are bad news, they are sorrow, they are tears and they are blood. Our nation deserves peace and may we see their end. I say a big amen!
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Our leadership needs to run these gunmen out of town. They do not deserve to be in business, they are bad news, they are sorrow, they are tears and they are blood. Our nation deserves peace and may we see their end. I say a big amen.
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