By Opeyemi Adelakun
Former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, has alleged that bandit groups terrorising parts of Nigeria are receiving support from powerful collaborators, warning that insecurity will persist unless authorities dismantle the networks sustaining the criminals.
Tsiga, who recently regained freedom after spending nearly two months in captivity, shared his experience during an interaction with journalists in Kaduna.
The retired military officer argued that military operations and negotiations alone would not end banditry, insisting that those supplying weapons, ammunition, intelligence, food and other logistics to criminal groups must also be targeted.
According to him, his time in captivity exposed the extent of support available to bandits, including alleged links to individuals occupying influential positions.
Tsiga said the armed groups often lived in fear of security operations but continued to thrive because of the assistance they received from external collaborators.
He maintained that informants, suppliers and financiers form a critical part of the criminal ecosystem and could undermine any peace process if their interests are threatened.
Recounting one incident during his captivity, Tsiga claimed he overheard discussions involving the supply of ammunition to bandit leaders, an experience he said reinforced his belief that criminal groups enjoy support from a wider network.
The retired general stressed that meaningful progress against insecurity would require aggressive action against those providing logistical and financial backing to bandits.
He urged the Federal Government, security agencies and citizens to work together to expose and dismantle the structures enabling criminal operations across the country.
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