Bandits, kidnappers are ex-political thugs once armed by Governors to snatch ballot boxes — Report

Fresh facts have emerged on how governors’ political thugs during elections in the country have transformed into bandits and kidnappers terrorizing the country.

According to credible information at the disposal of this medium, it was reliably gathered that some governors in the country who were bent on attaining political success during the last general elections recruited young boys into their network and armed them with sophisticated weapons to do their bidding during the poll, which includes targeting perceived political opponents and the snatching of ballot boxes during elections.

In a security document seen by this medium, it was stated that some governors had armed thugs for electoral purposes. After the elections, most of the thugs felt abandoned and consequently went away with the weapons in their possession and have therefore taken to kidnapping and other forms of criminalities to make ends meet.

A top security source who did not want his name in print confirmed that some governors have been making overtures to some of the thugs to return the weapons in their possession under an amnesty deal that has not been successful.

“These governors know that they have succeeded in creating monsters in their states just for political gains. They didn’t realize that a time like this would come when they would lose the allegiance of their thugs. The bulk of the banditry cases experienced in the country are attributable to these thugs that felt used and dumped after the elections.”

“Since they have weapons in their possession, they have consequently gone berserk by engaging in acts of criminalities which pays them more compared to the peanuts that they got during the elections. We are in trouble in this country because these thugs are rampaging and are in possession of very sophisticated weapons.”

This medium also gathered that a governor from one of the states in the Northern part of the country has been sending overtures to some of his political thugs to drop their arms and embrace peace to no avail. It was also gathered that the governor in question has been most critical of the government’s efforts in addressing the security challenges in the country in a bid to cover his tracks.

A former aide of the governor who is in the know of the dealings of the governor stated that the governor has also marked some of his former thugs for elimination in a bid to cover his tracks since he got wind that security agencies are in the know of his dealings with the thugs.

“The situation is awful. I recall that some of us warned the governor on the danger of arming these boys because they would turn against us at some point, and this is exactly what is happening. Who are these bandits disturbing the peace of the country? Are they spirits? How did they get the weapons in their possession? Please, I don’t want to say anything further. Let him sort himself as most of us that advised against it in the first place were blackmailed and shown the way out of government because we saw this coming.”

Our investigations also scooped that the security agencies have compiled a list of governors involved in these notorious acts, including some former governors. They have been making overtures to some highly placed persons to nip it in the bud because some still have political ambitions. They fear that should this come to the open; they might be ruined politically and possibly face prosecution for aiding and abetting crime in the country.

It was gathered from reliable sources that one of the Service Chiefs has been under tremendous pressure to downplay the new findings, but he is not bulging. He has told his close aides to ensure that all must be done to ensure that none of the governors involved reaches him or any member of his family.

A top aide of the Service Chief confided in this medium that the boss is embarrassed that governors could be this irresponsible.

“It is a shame. Nigerians do not know some of the issues and challenges on the ground. They have been shamelessly trying to cover their tracks promising to call their boys to order, which is impossible. My boss has ensured that he is unreachable by these elements and he has put in place mechanism to ensure that the ring leaders of these thugs are captured alive which is not going down well with some of the governors, and former governors that have their hands soiled”

He further added that his boss had secured the President’s backing to go all out and unravel the level of complicity by the governors and other highly placed persons in the country.

“The President has been well briefed on the revelations and this much he hinted in his Christmas message to Nigerians when he pleaded with Nigerians to give our military and other security agencies more time, cooperation, and support by volunteering credible intelligence/information on activities of armed bandits, insurgents, and other criminal elements within their communities.”
“I can assure you that in some months from now, there would be more revelations that would shock Nigerians when they realize what is responsible for the spate of insecurity in the country.”
It would be recalled that there have been calls for the overhauling the security architecture due to heightened insecurity.