CMM

Banditry or Terrorism: The Role of the Media and Tips for the Nigerian Government by Amos Ajiboye

In a country battling widespread insecurity like Nigeria, clarity is not merely desirable, it is essential. The media, as the watchdog of society and the conveyor of truth, carries an immense responsibility to describe threats accurately and hold power to account without fear or compromise. Today, a dangerous ambiguity persists in the way violent groups are described. The persistent use of the word “bandits” to describe groups whose operations are clearly terroristic in nature is not just a linguistic oversight; it is a national security failure. The Nigerian media must immediately and consistently differentiate between bandits and terrorists because words shape perception, and perception shapes response.

To understand the gravity of this distinction, it is necessary to examine what differentiates the two. Bandits are essentially criminals motivated by economic gain. They rob, kidnap, extort, and attack primarily for ransom or other material benefits. Their structure is often fluid, and their operations are rooted in opportunistic crime. Terrorists, on the other hand, operate with ideological, political, or religious motivations. Their actions aim to destabilize the state, instill fear, seize territory, and break national unity. Terrorism is systematic, calculated, and designed to create chaos at a national scale.

When the violence in Nigeria is viewed through this lens, it becomes obvious that the label of “banditry” is a gross understatement of reality. The mass abductions of schoolchildren in Chibok, Kankara, Dapchi, and Kuriga were not mere crimes of opportunity. They were well-planned operations involving logistics, manpower, surveillance, and military-level coordination. The systematic attacks on communities in Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Plateau where hundreds have been massacred, villages razed, and territories occupied, far exceed the capacity or intention of common bandits. These groups set up parallel administrations, impose taxes, spread ideological propaganda, and move with the precision of organized militias. To continue calling them “bandits” is to mask the true scale of the threat and, inadvertently, to protect them from the full legal and moral condemnation they deserve.

This is why the media must rise to its responsibility as the custodian of national truth. Journalists in Nigeria are not mere narrators; they are the nation’s conscience. Insecurity thrives when reporting becomes diluted or compromised. The media must commit to thorough fact-checking and deep investigation before publishing reports. Instead of adopting sanitized terminology handed down for political convenience, journalists should report events as they are, without euphemisms. In a society where official statements sometimes fall short of full transparency, the media serves as the only reliable avenue for citizens to understand the true state of their nation. Mislabeling terrorists as bandits does not only mislead the public; it undermines the urgency required for decisive national action.

Equally troubling are the individuals and groups who deliberately shield, justify, or protect these terrorists. They come in the form of politicians, community leaders, clerics, and influencers who attempt to excuse or downplay acts of terror in the name of ethnicity, economic reasons, or political advantage. Such individuals are enemies of the Nigerian state. In many countries, shielding terrorists is treated as an act of treason, attracting swift and uncompromising consequences. Those who protect violent extremists in Nigeria are only fortunate because the government has not taken a firm stance against them. In other nations, the machinery of justice would have flushed them out long ago. No society can defeat terrorism while tolerating those who collaborate with or defend its perpetrators.

To truly confront this menace, Nigeria must adopt bold, innovative, and practical solutions. One of the most urgent steps the government must take is the establishment of a nationwide Forest Police Force. More than 80 percent of terror operations in Nigeria are rooted in forests, bushes, and ungoverned rural spaces. These vast territories provide terrorists with operational bases, hideouts, training grounds, and escape routes. Without reclaiming these spaces, security efforts will remain reactive and incomplete. A dedicated Forest Police Force would solve this problem by permanently occupying and securing these terrains.

This force should have its headquarters in each state capital, ensuring that every state maintains direct control and coordination over forest security. From these headquarters, operations would extend deeply into forest zones through strategic outposts and patrol routes. The force should be well trained in forest warfare, intelligence gathering, and environmental navigation. It must be equipped with drones for aerial surveillance, GPS mapping for terrain monitoring, motion sensors to track movement, and communication systems that ensure uninterrupted reporting. Unlike conventional security forces restricted by urban-based operations, the Forest Police Force would live, operate, and dominate inside the forests.

Moreover, this force must work closely with local communities. Farmers, hunters, and rural dwellers possess invaluable knowledge about the terrain and can provide early warnings about suspicious activities. By integrating local intelligence with modern technology, the Forest Police Force would effectively dismantle the operational bases of terrorists. This initiative would cut off their hideouts, disrupt their logistics, prevent kidnappers from holding victims for long periods, suppress illegal mining routes, and restore security to rural communities that have long lived under terror.

For any of these measures to succeed, however, the Nigerian government must abandon political calculations and place national security above personal alliances. Effective governance cannot coexist with fear of offending powerful sponsors of violence. The government must confront terrorism decisively, even when the financiers are politically connected or influential. Every life lost weakens the legitimacy of those in power. If the ruling party hopes to earn the trust of Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections, this is the opportunity to prove that governance matters more than politics. Nigerians are watching, and history is recording every action or inaction.

In conclusion, Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads. The media must call terrorists by their real names. The government must stop political hesitations and embrace decisive governance. Those shielding terrorists must no longer be tolerated. And the establishment of a nationwide Forest Police Force is essential to eliminating the sanctuaries that allow terrorism to flourish. The future of the nation depends on acknowledging the truth, confronting it boldly, and acting with unwavering commitment. Only then can Nigeria reclaim its peace and secure its destiny.

“The Supremacy of Dangote over the Government” by Amos Ajiboye

A silence hangs over Nigeria’s highways a silence that speaks louder than the roar of diesel engines. It’s the silence from the twisted metal of another preventable crash, the quiet grief of a family forever broken, and the unsettling hush from the corridors of power in Abuja.

The recent, tragic death of the sister of reality TV star Phyna is not just another headline. It is a heartbreaking pattern: a life cut short in a collision with a truck bearing the name of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. Her story is a painful data point in a long and grisly national crisis. And as the casualties’ mount, the Nigerian government the institution sworn to protect its citizens remains a passive spectator. This deafening inaction forces every one of us to ask a difficult question: Who truly holds power in Nigeria?

A Trail of Tragedy, A Culture of Impunity

Phyna’s family’s anguish is a mirror held up to the nation. A Dangote truck is allegedly involved; one sister dies at the scene, another fights bravely before succumbing to her injuries. This script is familiar. From Lagos to Kano, on the East-West Road to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, the story repeats itself. Overloaded, poorly maintained trucks, operated by drivers who may be overworked or undertrained, have become rolling instruments of death.

We see the evidence on social media, in news reports, and in our own communities. The public outcry after each incident is fierce and justified. Yet the official response is a predictable cycle: empty promises of investigations, fleeting thoughts and prayers, and the nothing. No meaningful change, no stringent new regulations, no public accountability. The impunity is staggering. It creates a perception that there are two sets of laws: one for ordinary Nigerians, and another for the powerful whose economic weight excuses them from responsibility.

The Government’s Silent Complicity

The government’s greatest failure lies not in its actions, but in its refusal to act. This silence is a form of complicity. We see this failure everywhere:

• Regulatory Failure: Agencies like the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have a mandate to enforce safety standards. Yet, rickety, clearly unroadworthy Dangote trucks remain a constant, menacing presence on our roads. Where is the aggressive enforcement of laws on axle loads, mandatory rest periods for drivers, and vehicle maintenance? The system appears designed to look the other way.
• Justice Denied: When accidents happen, the path to justice is often slow, opaque, and stacked against grieving families. Cases stall, evidence vanishes, and ordinary citizens are left to battle a corporate giant with limitless resources. The government’s duty to ensure swift, transparent justice remains unfulfilled.
• A Moral Vacuum: The profound silence from the Presidency and the National Assembly is perhaps most deafening. Where are the summons for corporate leadership to explain these tragedies? Where are the urgent public hearings and presidential directives? This lack of moral leadership suggests a calculated avoidance of confronting a powerful economically.

The Dangerous Myth: “Too Big to Regulate”

Some may argue that the Dangote Group’s immense contribution to the economy through jobs, taxes, and essential goods makes it indispensable. But this argument is profoundly dangerous. No corporate entity, however large, should be above the law. The primary business of government is the welfare and security of its people, not the facilitation of profit.

By tolerating this impunity, the government endorses a toxic idea: that economic power can buy immunity. It tells ordinary Nigerians that their lives are negotiable, mere collateral in the pursuit of corporate growth and GDP figures. This creates a two-tiered citizens hipbone for the powerful and connected, and another for the rest of us, who must simply hope for mercy on the road.

A Call for Moral Courage: Who Does the Government Serve?

The Nigerian government must now provide an answer, not with words, but with action. It must demonstrate who it truly serves. It is time to end the silence.

We call on our leaders to:
• Initiate an independent, public audit of the safety protocols and maintenance records of all major haulage companies, starting with Dangote’s fleet.
• Empower agencies to enforce the law without fear or favor, holding company management directly accountable for systemic negligence.
• Ensure transparent and swift justice for all victims, including Phyna’s family.
• Convene a National Assembly inquiry into the deadly culture of impunity surrounding commercial haulage.

The blood of innocent Nigerians staining our highways is a stain on our national conscience. Every life lost is a verdict on the government’s priorities. The continued silence is an answer in itself a betrayal of the sacred trust placed in our leaders. Until decisive action is taken, the haunting question will remain:

“Is Aliko Dangote more powerful than the Nigerian government? The evidence, written in our collective grief, suggests our leaders are afraid of the answer?”.

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