The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), in collaboration with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, hosted a Knowledge Production Dialogue on Thursday at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The dialogue aimed to shed light on the pressing issues of youth involvement in armed banditry in the region.

Aminu Yunusa, from the Sociology Department of the institution, presented a paper titled “An Appraisal of the Causes and Consequences of Youth Involvement in Armed Banditry in Kaduna State, Northwestern Nigeria (2012-2022).”

The University Don stated that banditry is a serious crime that poses a security challenge to democratic governance and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.

“Bandits often terrorize communities in the North West region. Their activities include kidnapping, arson, shooting, rape, cattle rustling, killing, and looting.”

Yunusa emphasized the harmful impact of continuous youth engagement in armed banditry on the residents of Kaduna state. He attributed this involvement to factors such as youth unemployment, greed, poverty, substance abuse, peer influence, and the existence of ungoverned spaces.

He said, “The highest portion of every conflict or violence that took place in Northwest Nigeria is perpetrated by the youth. All the conflicts, including banditry and kidnapping, are carried out mostly by youth between 16 and 30 years old. Quite often, poverty and inequality, lack of education, unemployment, and lack of economic opportunities, among other issues, have been identified as the main factors leading vulnerable youth into joining violent extremist groups in their communities.”

His recommendations included the establishment of community policing structures, collaboration between media, community leaders, and the government to educate the youth about the dangers of banditry, and fostering law-abiding behavior.

Also in her presentation titled “Youth and Banditry in the Northwest Region: An Insight into the Learning Process,” Dr. Halima Sa’adiya Adamu from the Department of Political Science and International Relations highlighted the widespread impact of banditry on economic and human development in the northwest region.

Dr. Halima also said the effect of banditry is extensive. In addition to complicating the security crisis in the country, it has also increased the incidence of forced migration, food insecurity, cattle rustling, destruction of property, health challenges, displacement, humanitarian crises, and death.

She said the growth rate of these crimes can be attributed to unemployment, poverty, and poor education, stressing that deliberate efforts must be put in place to transform the politics and government systems to be more responsive to the needs of their people.

She noted that parents and the government play pivotal roles in the involvement of young individuals in this menace.

Her recommendations included fostering better communication between parents and children, community-driven initiatives, youth participation in decision-making processes, improving educational quality, creating conducive entrepreneurial environments, and organizing capacity-building seminars.

Some research by international organizations, such as the recent one conducted by Action Aid Nigeria, shows that Nigeria has witnessed about 95 percent of conflicts, including thuggery, banditry, kidnapping, killings, cattle rustling, and thuggery, mainly carried out by youth.

The incidence of banditry in Nigeria is a growing phenomenon that gravely threatens human security. It is prevalent in the North West geopolitical region of the country but has the potential to expand into transnational crime.