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Retired Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau raises alarm that terrorists now collect taxes.
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Terrorist groups reportedly running parallel governance in some northern communities.
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Calls for poverty reduction, resource harnessing, and traditional institution support to curb violence.
Retired Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), has warned that terrorists in Northern Nigeria are now collecting taxes and enforcing their own laws, as insecurity escalates across the region.
Dambazau spoke on Monday at the First Media and Security Summit in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, themed “Existential Threats and National Security.” The summit brought together northern leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and governors of Nasarawa and Kebbi States.
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“The North has suffered from herders-farmers clashes, terrorism, and banditry. People were killed in mosques in Katsina, Borno, Zamfara, and Kano. We have gotten to a situation where bandits and insurgents have taken some of our communities, taxing and making laws for them,” Dambazau lamented.
He added, “Thousands have been killed and millions displaced. The number of widows and orphans has increased, farmers have lost their farmlands, and herders’ cattle have been rustled — all without any meaningful response from state actors.”
The retired general urged northern governors to reduce dependence on federal allocations by creating Ministries of Mineral Resources, collaborating with federal agencies to harness local resources, generate jobs, and tackle poverty — a key driver of insecurity. He also called for restoring traditional authority, investing in agriculture, educating out-of-school children, and promoting social inclusion.
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Dambazau further warned that religious extremism fuels groups like Boko Haram, the ‘Lakurawa’ terrorists, and armed bandits, enabling them to inflict widespread violence.
Speaking at the summit, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III stressed that security is a collective responsibility. “Security is everybody’s responsibility. We were not like this before; Nigeria was not what it is today. We can solve the problem by coming together, understanding ourselves, and implementing decisions that will restore peace,” he said.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State added that insecurity, particularly in the North West, requires coordinated action and examination of root causes, including climate change and socio-economic factors.
