A retired military officer and security expert, Aminu Hassan Soja, has said that some individuals are benefiting from Nigeria’s prolonged insecurity, making it difficult to end banditry, terrorism and other security challenges across the country.
Speaking during a special program on SolaceBase TV, Soja said Nigeria possesses the capacity and resources needed to defeat criminal groups, but vested interests have turned insecurity into a lucrative business.
According to him, the rising cost of ransom demanded by bandits is evidence that kidnapping has become a profitable criminal enterprise.
“Today, bandits demand between ₦50 million and ₦100 million as ransom. This shows how lucrative the business has become for them,” he said.
The retired military officer dismissed negotiations with bandits as an ineffective strategy, arguing that such agreements only provide temporary relief while allowing the criminals to regroup and continue their activities elsewhere.
“I have never believed in negotiating with bandits. Even if you negotiate with them, they will still return to crime. We have seen many so-called repentant Boko Haram members who later went back to the bush and continued killing innocent people,” he stated.
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He explained that after reaching agreements in one community, the criminals simply relocate to another area to continue their attacks and extortion.
“So what happens is that once they negotiate in one village, they move to another and continue their operations. That is how they keep making huge amounts of money.”
Soja further argued that previous negotiations with bandits in Katsina State contributed to the displacement of criminal elements into neighbouring Kano State, stressing the need for Kano authorities to strengthen security measures to prevent further infiltration.
He called on the Federal Government to adopt a more aggressive and time-bound military strategy against armed groups rather than allowing the conflict to drag on.
“The government must be serious in fighting them. It should restrategize, develop a clear plan and eliminate these criminals within a short timeframe instead of prolonging the war.”
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According to him, security forces should take the battle directly to the bandits instead of waiting for attacks before responding.
He also criticised what he described as delayed military responses, citing the death of Major General Rabe Abubakar in a bandit den as an example.
“It is unfortunate that the military waited until Rabe was killed before launching an offensive. These criminals are operating within our territory. The military can surround the forests where they hide and carry out decisive operations against them,” Soja said.
He maintained that decisive action, improved strategy and sustained military offensives are essential to restoring peace and ending insecurity across the country.
