By Steven Kefas and Segun Onibiyo
(Kaduna) Barbarians are at the gates!
Students and staff at Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA) in Katsina, Northwest Nigeria, warn that some of their colleagues are bandit collaborators.
A trove of revelations about bandit informants within the institution have surfaced since the murder of Dr. Tiri Gyal, staff member of FUDMA, by bandits on July 2, 2024.
The attackers also kidnapped two of his sons, and two women, who are sisters, in the early morning hours of Monday, between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m.
Escalation of Banditry
As kidnapping, killings, and extortion by bandits escalate at Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), staff and students are pointing to collaborators within the campus as a significant factor.
“It’s unfortunate and worrisome that some of our staff members are informants to bandits. We have reported suspected staff members to a security agency, providing their phone numbers for investigation, but unfortunately, the security agency’s head has not responded yet,” said Prof. Armaya’u Bichi, the Vice Chancellor, in an interview with D.W. Hausa.
Police Response
Bichi emphasized that the university has been working hard to prevent further attacks, but the situation is deteriorating.
However, the Nigeria Police Force in Katsina said it was not informed that informants were in FUDMA.
“We don’t have information on this issue, and we don’t know exactly which particular security the university management contacted. We will thoroughly investigate the matter to bring the perpetrators to justice.” said the police spokesman, ASP Abubakar Sadi.
Staff and students corroborate Vice Chancellor
Nonetheless, both staff and students of the university corroborated the vice chancellor’s assertion.
“It is true that many of the staff of the university are responsible for the kidnapping that is taking place. They are the ones telling the bandits when and where staff and students can be easily apprehended by bandits, said Dr. Mohammed Emmanuel, a senior lecturer at FUDMA, in an exclusive interview with TruthNigeria.
“We have been taking all necessary action, but our efforts have proved abortive,” Emmanuel went on to say.
“Bandits have been penetrating the staff and students’ residential quarters and kidnapping them,” Dr. Emmanuel told TruthNigeria.
“There is a pervasive fear creeping into the university campus in Dutsinma. We don’t know who to trust among the staff anymore, ” Emmanuel added.
He also noted that in recent times, bandits and kidnappers have had a field day, terrorizing not only the staff and students of the university but also residents of the host community, Dutsinma.
Emmanuel is not the only one complaining about the role of informants or collaborators in the worsening security situation in the institution.
“Many students of the institution have stopped coming to school due to the fear of being kidnapped. Apart from the fact that many students of the institution have stopped coming to school, I am also thinking of applying to a university in the southern part of the country next session,” said Ashaitu Aminu, 26, a law student.
Christians are victims, and many Muslims are arrested for being informants or collaborators.
Investigations by TruthNigeria have shown that some individuals have been providing crucial information to terrorist groups, enabling them to carry out attacks on unsuspecting communities in and out of the university, often motivated by religious consideration, financial gain, or personal vendettas.
“Most of those kidnapped by bandits were Christians, and many of those arrested for passing information to the kidnappers and bandits are Muslims,” Emmanuel added.
He further gave insight into what happened on the night Dr. Gyal was kidnapped.
“The kidnappers came in the dead of night and picked Gyal up in the wee hours of the morning alongside his son. They also abducted two women who were living next door; apart from that, the kidnappers did not touch or kidnap other neighbors who were Muslims,” said Emmanuel.
“After investigation, it was revealed that those who gave Gyal out were Muslim staff of the institution,” he went on to say.
“The role of informants in fueling ethno-religious crises in Nigeria is a pressing concern that needs to be addressed.” Dr. Emmanuel noted this with concern.
Kidnapping Spurred by Greed, Lust, and Poverty
According to Abdul Bako Usman, a Kaduna-based human-rights activist, greed, lust for money, and poverty are the primary motivators for individuals who collaborate with or serve as informants for terrorists and kidnappers. In an exclusive interview with TruthNigeria, Usman disagreed with Emmanuel’s interpretation, highlighting the complexities of the issue.
Usman cited the arrest of three Muslim bread vendors in 2021 in Giwa County, Kaduna State, who were supplying bread to terrorist groups.
“The vendors, who were arrested by the Nigeria Police Force, confessed to being motivated by poverty and a desire for financial gain. One of the suspects revealed that he earned an average of N400,000 monthly from the illegal business, while another suspect claimed he was unaware that selling bread to terrorists was a criminal offense.
“The other vendor said he started selling bread to the terrorists since he was unable to feed his family,” Usman said.
Collaborators/ Informants Abound
“Most of the attacks on civilians and Army personnel cannot be possible without the active intelligence supplied by informants,” says Security analyst and a retired Police officer based in Lokoja, in Kogi State.
“The kidnapping of students of Kogi State University early this year was made possible by insiders. Similarly, the attacks on villages in Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states were directed by informants, the security analyst told TruthNigeria.
In March 2024, Kaduna State Gov. Uba Sani called for decisive action against informants and collaborators to bandits in the state. The governor made the call on community and traditional leaders in the state.
“We must identify them and deal with them decisively. Traditional rulers, Religious leaders, local government chairmen and other key stakeholders have a key role to play in assisting security agencies with intelligence,” Sani said.
“All hands must be on deck to root out the evil elements in our communities. As the governor, I will lead this battle from the front. Our extraordinary situation now demands extraordinary sacrifice, cooperation and commitment,” the governor said on his X handle.
Similarly, Malam Dikko Radda, the governor of Katsina state in June 2024, said that informants are masking the job of tackling banditry difficult in the state.
Steven Kefas and Segun Onibiyo are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
