REVEALED! Source of arms and ammunition for bandits in Zamfara

One of the most puzzling questions that remain unanswered on rural insecurity is the sources of arms and ammunitions. Studies have shown that there are over 60,000 weapons in circulation in 82 the Northwest.

After a tour to some of the Bandits’ den, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a retired army officer and Islamic cleric in northern Nigeria, provided an estimate of over 100,000 arms and ammunition in the hands of the bandit.

‘There are more weapons than cattle in Zamfara’, said a bandit leader and owning a gun was more profitable than herds of cattle. The figures above could be exaggerated, but the concern herein is not to debate on the validity of the figures or otherwise, but to provide an analysis of the sources, dealers, retailers and even users of the weapons.

Considering the large number and membership of the armed groups, one could not doubt the estimated quantity of arms.

Thus, weapons like anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled grenade tubes, general purpose machine guns, AK47, AK49, G3 magazines amongst several others are found across different camps in the state.

Some of the camps like that of Turji, Halilu and Shehu Rekep used drones and CCTV cameras for surveillance and intelligence gathering. In one of the camps visited in Birnin Magaji, there was a local ICT expert stationed in charge of solar panels and monitoring of the CCTV.

Besides providing power to the CTTV, members of the gang used energy from the panel to charge their phones, lamps and other electrical appliances.

Abdullahi Dandare, the local ICT man had lived in Lagos, Oyo, Kogi and Benue states, first a pastoralist and later engaged in the sales of electronics, before coming back home to join the bandits in their den. In those places he learnt the rudiments of ICT.

Thus, members of other less powerful gangs often travel a long distance to see and if possible take pictures beside the newly imported weapons. Therefore, the bandits could clearly tell which amongst the leaders is stronger, because the power of a gang is measured by the level of its sophisticated weapons.

Discussion within most criminal circles is on how and where to get the latest weapons as well as on which recalcitrant gang or community to test it. As stated elsewhere, arms trade is also a means of generating income to a cross section of the gangs.

Significant percentage of their illicit income is spent illicitly on drugs, women, betting, buying of latest phones and other ostentatious goods. A repentant bandit stated that ‘the business could make one a millionaire today and a pauper tomorrow’.

So much is also spent on either the purchase or renting of sophisticated arms used in operations. Most arguments on the source of weapons revolve around the ‘porous border thesis and the inability of the security to man the over 1,950 official borders.

There is absolute shortage of manpower and officers want to be posted to lucrative borders. The armed smugglers mostly used these minor entries for the supply of arms into the country. Moreover, the small numbers of officials at the border posts in some cases were accused of conniving and facilitating the movements of arms into the country.

This could be part of the reasons why the incumbent Controller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service issued an order in 2020 that 70% of his workforce should be deployed to the borders, which has yet to take effect.

Thus, the wider assumption is that arms supply in Zamfara is majorly from the Nigeria- Niger borders located around Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina axis. This is a plausible assumption as there are some border communities within these states with substantial number of individual gunrunners, whose main role is to simply move arms across the borders.

Some of these illicit traffickers are well-known in their communities, while others remain unknown. Calamity could befall any community that exposes these suppliers to security agencies.

Since the Nigerian security operatives have complained of grossly inadequate personnel in addition to proving incapable of defending the people from the rural warlords, the best thing is to observe ‘conspiracy of silence’ for peace to reign in the villages.

There is also the use of women and children as couriers of arms along the border. “It is very difficult to get a woman arm courier, but if you have any they are the safest and easiest ways of cross-border arms movement.

Depending on the distance and terrain, an AK47 rifle is transported into a nearby village from the border at the rate of N20,000, while a bag containing 100 rounds of ammunition at the cost of N5,000.

Thus, transporting the ammunition is much easier due to its size and could be divided into different portions, what the locals called Geron Hajiya. Moreover, the criminals, particularly the so-called ‘repentant ‘criminals, have dislodged the multiple agents and became either importers or local transporters or arms.

An informant that spent five years in banditry around Dan-Sadau area stated that ‘I have wasted five years for nothing, had it been I knew I could have been a gunrunner earlier. There is more money, peace and pride to be in the arm supplying chain’.

Meanwhile, some of the members argued that it is by far more lucrative to join the two businesses together, because it’s of dual benefit’. Some of the leaders specialized in arms supply, training of bandits as well as attacks on innocent people.

Shehu rocket, Halilu in Sububu forests and Ali Kachalla of Dansadau were experts in this regards. They have an independent supply chain and largely imported weapons beyond their needs. Shehu Rekep is connected to Malian, Chadian and Libyan rebels from where he gets most of his supplies.

Together with his friend, Halilu has an absolute monopoly of arms supply in Zamfara state. Most of the bandits in the state get their arms from either of the two groups. So far, the three gangs led by these leaders, are the most powerful and notorious in the state.

The next groups that relied on them to some extent for arms are Turji in Isa and Sabon Birni, Dankarami of Zurmi and Gidan Jaja as well as Alhaji Auta of Birnin Magaji.

One of the main challenges that affect effective arms trade amongst the bandits is the internal rivalry, which continues to widen the division amongst them. The smaller gangs are differently affiliated to the stronger gangs, for guidance, supervision and supply of both arms and fighters, when confronted by a superior rival gang or security operatives.

This cold relationship is what is partly flaming the fire of the armed groups. For instance, there is no love lost between Dankarami of Zurmi and Alhaji Auta. In any event of threat against either of these groups, each would rather fight alone than seek support from the other gang, in spite, of the closeness and proximity to each other.

A ‘repentant bandit’ stated that the whole banditry is becoming less interesting because of the engagement and involvement of young boys who don’t have a sense of maturity in the nefarious acts. The young boys are so desperate and in hurry to either wage an attack or become independent leaders.

That is why the older ones decided to maintain and dominate the arms supply chain. Most worrisome about the issue of banditry is that there were attempts by Boko Haram, ISWAP and Ansaru to forge an alliance with the bandits.

Boko Haram for instance started the move around 2014. In 2018, Boko Haram fighters from the Northeast were sent by the Shekau faction to support bandits in the Northwest. Eventually they became integrated with the bandits and abandoned the course of Boko Haram.

The reason is that banditry is not ideologically based and gives freedom to i n d i v i d u a l fi g h t e r s. Moreover, there is what may be called bountiful wealth in banditry. Dogo Gide, later forged an alliance with Boko Haram in the last quarter of 2019.

Thus, from his base in the forest of Wawa in Niger state, Gide was recruiting members for this group and ensuring the group has 104 stronghold in Zamfara state.

In the light of this, assistance is often given to armed groups in Zamfara in form of fighters and equipment. Alhaji Shehu Shingi from Zurmi, is the major Boko Haram link with the bandits.

To be continued…