Unveiling Of Community Protection Guard: Towards A Secured Zamfara State…
By: Musa Yusuf
On Monday, Governors from all over the Northwest region of Nigeria of which Zamfara is a part of converged in Gusau, the state capital to witness the unveiling of, and graduation ceremony of over 2,600 operatives of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (CPG) code named Askarawan Gusau. The event was a celebration of the bold decision taken last year by Governor Dauda Lawal Dare, to set up the CPG, an alternative security outfit to add boots to the in his avowed commitment to rid the state of all elements of destruction, criminalities and all manner of troublemakers that have turned the state into a hotbed of lawlessness.
Dauda Lawal Dare inherited a state under siege. Zamfara under previous administrations was undoubtedly Nigeria’s most terrorized state. Where bandits are not routinely kidnapping the poor masses for ransom, they were either demanding heavy taxes from them, of which failure to pay comes in form of wholesale killing of villages. Where action was required, the immediate past governor, now minister of state for defence preferred blame peddling and buck shifting. This, amongst other reasons, was why the people of the state voted him out in preference of Dauda Lawal Dare who promised action.
The action promised by Governor Dauda Lawal Dare is what is now manifesting in form of the CPG. This is most fitting in light of the fact that, a quasi-security outfit under the control of the state government and working in collaboration with state security as confirmed by the governor during the graduation event, will have very clear loyalties with clearly defined objectives that may not be twisted by both known and unknown enemies of the state.
That’s why it didn’t come as a surprise that fellow Governors, especially those from the Northwest region battling the same menace of terrorism were present at the Gusau trade fair ground, venue of the unveiling ceremony the CPG and graduation of men of the CPG on Wednesday. Without making it too obvious, the presence of many of these August visitors who left their task of governance in solidarity with Governor Dauda Lawal Dare does not only speak to the importance of the CPG, but the imperative for its formation.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Governor Dauda Lawal Dare declared that “the first batch of the Community Protection Guards, 2,645, are graduating. These young, energetic and vibrant personnel have undergone rigorous training, extensive drilling, and an understanding of the rules of engagement, amongst other skills, in the due discharge of their responsibility of partnering, assisting and working with the security agencies to defend our communities.”
The objective of the CPG is to bring a halt to the activities of bandit terrorists who have made the state some sort of an easy target for their nefarious activities. No one can really put a number to the innocent people that have lost their lives to the activities of bandits in Zamfara. However, a rough estimate from numbers published in the media after every attack puts the number at about 2500. This number may be modest or bogus depending on the angle from which one is looking at the crisis. Nevertheless, people have been lost in their hundreds and many others have been kidnapped and raped while many have simply been made to vanish by these non-state actors.
“I am a Bandit”, a collation of university seminars on the issue of banditry by Dr. Murtala Ahmed Rufa’i puts Zamfara as the birthplace of banditry. According to the author, research shows that armed groups have been part of the history of Zamfara since from the late 19th Century with local musicians insinuating that traditional rulers around Dan-sadau have been colluding with these lethal elements to negatively impact trade, farming and other economic activities for years.
Contemporary banditry as we know it today can be traced back to 2011 according to Dr. Murtala Ahmed Rufa’i. And although there are several theories, about the rise of modern armed groups, the most plausible had it that it can be traced back to Dan-sadau, of Maru Local Government of Zamfara state. It is said that it started when “politicians in the state sponsored and armed some youths as political thugs to achieve their ambition in 2011”.
It was said that after achieving their aims, the youths were abandoned and many of them went into drug abuse, cattle stealing before morphing into organised bandit groups attacking villages on motorbikes. As the author puts it, the first motorbikes used in bandits attacks were donations from politicians and this further solidify the nexus between banditry and politicians. This may explain why the author posited that at the onset of bandits activities in Zamfara state “authorities remained adamant, confused and unresponsive; thus adding flavour to the politicians connection to the conflict. Instead of strengthening formal and informal security architecture in the state, the conflict was sedated and armed groups were lull to sleep through amnesty and kangaroo state pardon”, emphasis mine.
This trend of massaging bandits continued through to 2019 when Matawalle, having accused his predecessor, Abdulaziz Yari of inertia and hobnobbing with bandits also towed the line of amnesty for the non-state actors. Thus, the 2021 abduction of 276 girls from a school in Jangebe in the state and the subsequent claim that the girls were released following negotiations led by so called repentant bandits appear to be a spectacle orchestrated to give credence to the state’s amnesty programme.
It was perhaps in a bid to completely depart from this practice of handling bandits with kid gloves that Governor Dauda Lawal Dare took the proactive decision to add boots on the ground. This was in fulfilment of his social contract and the need to strengthen “formal and informal security architecture” for the battle against bandits. This is why the governor approved the engagement of over 4200 passionate youths from the state as Community Protection Guard (CPG), the first set of which will comprise over 2500 operatives.
When he visited the CPG’s camp at the commencement of training, the governor revealed that he “established the Community Protection Guard (Askarawan Gusau) to strengthen the efforts of security agencies in combating banditry across the state” From each of the 14 local government of the state, 300 able bodied and very passionate youths have been selected to lend a hand in the battle against the terrorists who have turned the lives of the people upside down.
The governor further declared that “We have confidence in all the trainees that they will play a great role in the fight against banditry in the state, before commenting that he has witnessed the progress of the newly recruited CPG personnel training, and that he’s delighted with what he saw in the camp. “What I witnessed today has raised my hope, and I am confident that our rescue mission is on track in ensuring a better future for Zamfara,” the governor added.
The governor Dauda’s confidence has proven to be well founded with this unveiling and graduation ceremony. It’s wonder that the governor used the graduation ceremony to reiterate his desire to depart completely from past practices of handling banditry with kid gloves when he declared that “We have gathered here today with a common purpose: to unite against banditry and insecurity in the Northwest. Regardless of political affiliation, we are committed to never negotiating with bandits”. This strong, collective commitment by governors of the region is not only timely, it speaks to the importance of a collective approach towards ending this menace as quickly as possible.
Experts posit that Engaging youths from communities and settlements that have come under the cush of bandits makes a lot of sense and is consistent with the age old belief that a man fighting to defend his home is more dangerous than an army of criminals simply looking to bring harm to the people. Whereas the man defending his home fights for love, for family and survival, the criminal is simply out to gain where he didn’t make input and this makes their motivation significantly different.
The face-off will now be between those fighting to protect their homes against criminals, and the criminals whose stock in trade is obtaining through criminal means. However, the most important message from Governor Dauda Lawal through the establishment of the CPG is that it will no longer be business as usual. Not even the prancing of an erstwhile governor who is alleged to be using his office as an under minister of Defense to utilise state actors in ways that betray their professional calling can reach beyond this outfit and uproot its significance in the battle against insecurity in Zamfara state.
In a significant reiteration of his commitment to all round governance, Governor Dauda posited that “While we make these efforts, the lofty goals we set out to achieve will remain a mirage as long as the formidable challenge of insecurity remains unaddressed”. Without doubt, the peace and quite associated with adequate security of people and properties which is the bedrock and legitimacy of governance is the foundation of development and the unhindered delivery of dividends of democracy.
So, as we revel in the governor’s efforts and commitment on delivering on the terms of his contract with the people of Zamfara, it must be said that security is a collective action. Therefore, the least expected of the Zamfara people will be total support for the young lads of the CPG. Our people must volunteer information and anything that will make the CPG’s job easy. As the Governor maintained, without taking care of insecurity, it will be hard to deliver on other areas of governance. By and large, the greatest winners from this exercise will be Zamfarawa regardless of their affiliations.
Yusuf writes from Gusau
