Former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), retired Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga, has shared insights from his period in captivity, saying his experience convinced him that negotiations alone cannot bring an end to banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.
Tsiga stated that criminal groups operating across parts of the country are not invincible and can be effectively confronted through a coordinated and determined security strategy.
The retired military officer spoke on Thursday in Kaduna during a press briefing organised by friends, associates and colleagues of the late retired Major-General Abubakar Rabe.
Reflecting on the country’s security challenges, Tsiga said his encounter with bandits exposed the limitations of relying solely on dialogue with armed groups while ignoring the networks that sustain their operations.
Drawing from what he observed while in captivity, he maintained that terrorists and bandits are unlikely to abandon their activities willingly through negotiations.
“These people are human beings like us; they fear death and they fear being confronted. If we remove that fear through decisive action and face them squarely, we will achieve more meaningful results than endless negotiations,” he said.
Tsiga argued that the fight against insecurity must also target individuals who provide support, intelligence and logistics to criminal gangs. According to him, such collaborators are often embedded within communities and even public institutions.
Recalling discussions he overheard during his captivity, the former NYSC boss alleged that some bandit leaders spoke openly about obtaining ammunition through persons with access to government resources, an indication that insider collaboration remains a major challenge.
“Who exactly are we negotiating with? You may negotiate with the bandits, but those supplying them and profiting from the conflict will not allow peace to prevail because they are more interested in financial gain than the lives and property of innocent citizens,” he said.
He called on government authorities to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks while urging citizens to play a more active role in supporting security agencies with useful information.
According to Tsiga, military operations can only achieve lasting success when backed by strong community participation and intelligence gathering.
“If the Army is doing its part and society fails to support those efforts, then we have all failed. Security is a collective responsibility,” he said.
The retired general further urged communities not to succumb to fear, noting that criminal groups often rely on intimidation to dominate larger populations.
“When only a few armed men can force hundreds or even thousands of people to flee, it shows the need for collective action. Communities must work together with security agencies to deny criminals the space to operate,” he said.
He stressed that defeating insecurity would require sustained collaboration among security agencies, government institutions and citizens, insisting that only a united front can successfully confront banditry, terrorism and their sponsors.
