27-9-2014.

These days it is not easy to come by the print or the electronic media, nor is it easy for me to get my phone calls answered or my SMS messages returned, perhaps because of the condition ones has found himself in. This has made most people to often come to the wrong answer when they add two plus two. I sometimes do that myself, but not so often.

 

That was why I quickly looked for confirmation on the new media again, when I saw a trending video on the social media which captured my attention, showing the infamous bandit, Bello Turji, along with many others, among who were his most feared ‘boys’, captured by the Nigerian Army. And I silently murmured a congratulation to the soldiers, for getting rid of many of the bandits who have made life a living hell for many poor people in the North Western part of the country. That is, the people who were alive to tell their various harrowing experiences in the hands of, or with, the dreaded outlaws.

I wanted to be doubly sure before putting pen to paper to say a few things about the capture of the outlaws. They were all captured alive, contrary to the boats of the some of the bandits that nobody had the power to come close to where the allegedly ‘controlled’. I hope and pray to God that it was not a fake news, because I did not see it on another platform.

Anyway, some weeks ago, Bello Turji appeared in a video clip raining abuses on the President and the Governor of Katsina State, calling them by name in the process. However, another video clip showed some young soldiers telling the bandit to leave the civilians and go after the government he claimed to be fighting’. The soldiers added that ‘if he was man enough to walk his talk, let him come after them, not the civilians you always target’.

Turji’s capture alive, if true, would serve many purposes, as it would show to the world that Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, as all the captured outlaws would be taken to court. Some organisations and individuals have hold the false belief, and narrate it accordingly, that this country does not respect the rule of law. Even some Western countries send out such a propaganda too. But the trial of the captured bandits would prove the falsity of the deliberate belief and propaganda.

No matter how long the trial may take, it must reach its conclusion, so that the whole world could see that justice is not only done to the captured bandits, but it was seen to be done to them, even though they never gave their dead victims any but their own kind of ‘justice’.

It would also give those alleged to be supporting or conniving with the bandits the important chance to clear their names from the accusations, failing of which, would convince the rest of the people that they are guilty as charged.

Furthermore, it would be a pleasant proof that, once the Military High Command receives the directive of the President, which he gave in no uncertain terms that he wanted the bandits ‘dead or alive’, the military high ups would, in turn, instruct the soldiers to do that which they know how to do excellently. And true to their professional expertise, the military complied to the President’s directive, and most of the dreaded bandits are captured both dead and alive. Halilu Sabulu, Kachalla Makore, Auwalu Mahaukaci and others were eliminated, while Bello Turji and some feared bandits were captured alive.

Still the capture, if really true, would also have people asking the bandits, especially some of the kingpins, notably Bello Turji, who boasted of being invincible, the whereabouts of their magic wand. Has it evaded them and went AWOL, as the Military would say?

It is the wish and prayer of all peace loving Nigerians, especially those in the North Western states of Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina, that all the bandits are decisively dealt with, so that they may once again, continue to sleep like the rest of their compatriots, with their two eyes closed.

Malam Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.