Recently as at 10th June there have been series of killing in the northern Nigeria. Lots of citizens were made homeless and others lost their lives. Arm banditry has eaten deep into the fabric of socio economic development in Nigeria. The variation in the level of arm banditry in the Northern Nigeria is in correlation with change in political administration.
Armed banditry, facilitated the emergence of a complex informal security sector in the region, including the growth of armed local vigilante groups established to protect communities against bandits. Many of these groups lack adequate security training and often compete against one another.

Growth of arm banditry in Northern Nigeria

The growth of arm banditry is worrisome; there have been so much tension in the Northern part of the country; states like Borno State, Zamfara State, Jigawa State, Nassarawa State have all had their fair share of the outcome of arm banditry. Arm banditry becomes so obvious in the present administration; the reason being that the security department of various security agencies in Nigeria especially the northern part of the country lack adequate funding. There have been series of complaints to the federal government of Nigeria to curb the prevalence of arm banditry in Nigeria especially the Northern part of the country; despite all the effort put in place to stop or control the growth of arm banditry, the result of the effort seems a far cry from desired result.

Causes of arm banditry In Northern Nigeria

The first case of arm banditry this year was in buruku local government area, Benue State. The cause of arm banditry was reported to be Fulani herdsmen attack on the people of Buruku Local government of Benue State. The reason for the attack was the people of Buruku local government area refusal to give into the grazing law endorsed by the president mahammadu Buhari.
But the case was different in the northern part of the country; the Boko Haram and other bandits in the Northern part of the country made it clear that they have no interest in western education. They end up attacking the northerners even though they share the same religious beliefs. The continuous killings in the northern part of the country have drawn attention from different part of the world.
The Nigeria soldier that made a video criticizing the Nigeria army of complacency over the little effort they put in the control of arm banditry was arrested. Up till date people are still complaining that nothing has been done about the prevalence of arm banditry in the Northern part of the country. There are lots of twitter messages on the prevalence of arm banditry in the northern part of the country.
The U.S. President Donald Trump has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to do everything humanly possible to put an end to the killings of Christians in Nigeria and also ensure the release of those kidnapped. Trump described the spate of killings in Nigeria as a "terrible problem". The government has made lots of promises that they will bring all the perpetrators to book.

The Role of Negotiation

Negotiation seems not to be a good idea for the control of arm banditry in the northern part of the country. Lately the governors of katsina state and that of Zamfara State negotiated with the bandits to stop the killing in their various communities but the negotiation that was intended to for peace and unity seem not to be effective as the killings continues. The result of the failed negotiation made the governors of the mentioned states above pulled out of the peaceful negotiation since the bandit were unyielding.

The criticism

The people of Nigeria especially those in the northern part of the country blasted their governors for using negotiation as a means to stop arm banditry. Most of the affected individuals were complained that it has never been heard in most of the developed countries in of the world that a governor or a president negotiates with terrorists or bandits but the case was different in Nigeria. Most of the northern are regretting voting in President Muhammadu Buhari. Some said that the mohammadu Buhari’s administration is a failed administration.

Conclusion

Arm banditry is among the major problem Nigeria as a country is currently facing. There have been so many messages coming from the northern part of the country as regard arm banditry. The growth of arm banditry is as a result of the poor security situation in Nigeria. Aminu Bello Masari and Babagana Umara Zulum the governor of Katsina State and borno state respectively engaged into negotiation with the arm bandits but the aim was defeated. People criticized the decision of the federal government of Nigeria to use negotiation as a means to control or put an end to arm banditry in Nigeria. There is need for the federal government of Nigeria to look into the menace of arm banditry and put a stop to it.

You may wish to read up other undergraduate research project articles on arm banditry on projectregards.com