Activist Mahdi Shehu has raised concerns over the growing influence of armed bandits in Northern Nigeria, highlighting their “victory parade” in Bakori Local Government Area, Katsina State. According to Shehu, the heavily armed groups, clad in combat uniforms, staged the event under the guise of a “peace deal” with a local community.
Shehu warned that over the past decade, bandits have caused widespread devastation, killing, maiming, and displacing hundreds of thousands of villagers, leaving many communities traumatized and impoverished.
Residents, he said, often have no choice but to comply with bandit demands to secure temporary safety, access farmlands, and conduct daily market activities. “The bandits have effectively carved out their own state within a state, where their rules override government authority,” Shehu noted.
The activist added that similar situations are prevalent across many parts of Northern Nigeria, signaling a deepening security crisis. His warning has sparked widespread reactions online, with many expressing alarm over the escalating lawlessness and the apparent impunity of these criminal groups.
