Banditry rooted in resource struggle, not just abductions — Lai Mohammed

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has urged Nigerians to broaden their understanding of banditry, insisting that the menace goes far beyond kidnapping and cattle rustling, particularly in the North.

Mohammed made the assertion on Monday while speaking as a guest on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme.

According to him, banditry is fundamentally linked to competition over resources and should not be treated as a recent phenomenon.

“People must see banditry beyond kidnapping. Banditry is actually about resources,” he said.

The former minister recalled a town hall meeting on insecurity held in Katsina State, which was attended by key federal officials, including ministers overseeing the interior and defence portfolios.

“At that meeting, the then governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, told us that the first recorded history of banditry in the state dates back to 1891,” Mohammed stated.

He stressed that this historical context shows that banditry did not suddenly emerge in recent years, warning against simplistic narratives that reduce the crisis to kidnappings alone.

“So, anyone who thinks banditry is a latter-day development has got it wrong. People must see it beyond kidnapping or the stealing of cows,” he added.

Mohammed’s remarks come amid persistent security challenges across several parts of the country, with calls mounting for more holistic and long-term solutions to address the root causes of banditry.