Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has stated that the terrorists and bandits causing violence in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West are not foreigners but originate from within the region.
Speaking during a public discussion on insecurity, Sani emphasized that the North must take responsibility for resolving the crisis. He urged Northern leaders to take direct action to address the security problems affecting their communities.
He dismissed claims that the attackers come from countries like Mali, Malawi, or other African nations.
“The terrorists killing people in the North-East are not from Congo, Malawi, Libya, or Egypt; they are northerners, and they are Muslims. We must be honest about this,” he said.
Sani added that the situation in the North-West follows the same pattern.
“The bandits in the North-West are not from Senegal, Mali, Morocco, Guinea, or Guinea-Bissau; they are Fulani from the North-West of Nigeria,” he stated.
He warned that the region must stop attributing the problem to outsiders and instead confront it from within.
“It is for us to solve this problem, not anybody else. They are not speaking Chinese or Spanish. They speak Fulani, Hausa, and Kanuri. These are our languages,” he said.
Discussing the scope of the threat, Sani argued that the number of active terrorists and bandits is smaller than many believe.
“The total number of bandits and terrorists is not more than 5,000,” he claimed.
He called on Northern leaders to decide when they will directly confront the rising violence and create a coordinated regional security strategy based on reliable intelligence about the groups responsible.
Bandit and terrorist attacks have increased recently, creating fear across the country, with several incidents recorded in schools, churches, and other communities.
