Tsiga Alleges Insider Support for Criminal Networks, Urges Crackdown on Sponsors …Says informants, arms suppliers and collaborators within official circles are fueling insecurity

Retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has alleged that bandit groups operating across northern Nigeria enjoy support from a network of informants, arms suppliers and individuals within government circles, warning that the country may struggle to defeat insecurity without dismantling these support structures.

Tsiga, who spent nearly two months in captivity after being abducted by bandits, made the disclosure during an interactive session with journalists in Kaduna at the weekend, where he reflected on his experience and offered insights into the country’s security challenges.

The retired military officer argued that while dialogue and negotiations may have a role in resolving conflicts, they cannot succeed unless authorities confront those who provide logistical, financial and intelligence support to criminal groups.

Drawing from his time in captivity, Tsiga said bandits are sustained by an extensive network of collaborators who profit from the continued cycle of violence and kidnapping.

“It depends on who you are negotiating with and how committed we are to making such negotiations work. From what I observed during my time in captivity, no matter the arrangement for negotiations, we are not going to have it easy with these bandits. We must pursue them aggressively,” he said.

According to him, the armed groups are neither invincible nor fearless, noting that they often live under the constant threat of military operations and attacks from rival groups.

“These people are human beings like us. They fear death. While we were in captivity, I saw that they were constantly afraid of being attacked or challenged by security forces or other groups,” he stated.

However, Tsiga stressed that military operations alone would not be enough if authorities fail to target those facilitating the activities of criminal groups.

“It is not only the bandits that matter. What about the people assisting them? The informers, the suppliers and others supporting them are also Nigerians and cannot be ignored,” he said.

He warned that individuals benefiting financially from banditry could undermine peace efforts and negotiations aimed at ending violence in affected communities.

Recounting an incident during his captivity, Tsiga claimed he witnessed interactions suggesting that bandit leaders maintained communication with individuals involved in supplying ammunition.

He said a caller once contacted the group in the early hours of the morning to discuss the sale of ammunition, an encounter that reinforced his belief that criminal networks enjoy backing from collaborators outside the camps.

According to him, a bandit leader dismissed his attempt to join the conversation, saying they were dealing with people currently occupying positions of influence.

The former general said the experience convinced him that some “bad eggs” within official circles may be aiding criminal operations for personal gain.

“The suppliers are there. Bad eggs in government are there. They will not allow serious negotiations to succeed because they are interested in what they can gain, not in protecting lives and property,” he alleged.

Tsiga called on the Federal Government, security agencies and citizens to work together in identifying and dismantling the networks that provide weapons, ammunition, fuel, food and intelligence to bandit groups.

“We must move aggressively to ensure these people understand that the nation is determined to defeat them,” he said.

His comments come amid ongoing national debate over the most effective strategy for tackling banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in northern Nigeria, with stakeholders divided on whether military action, dialogue or a combination of both offers the best path to lasting peace and security.