Following the passing of Bashar Sani, the North is now forced to face its own dark demons

The tragic killing of Malam Bashar Sani, a senior administrator at the College of Education, Maru, serves as a stark reminder of the devastating crisis gripping Northern Nigeria, where he was murdered by bandits despite his family paying over N25.7 million in ransom.

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Over several years, the same group of bandits had repeatedly targeted his household, abducting his two wives, younger brother, and later kidnapping him, his wife, daughter, and several neighbors, with the family mobilizing resources and selling assets to meet the bandits' escalating demands.

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Each time, the family was forced to pay hefty ransoms, including N20 million and additional motorcycles, only to be told to "wait for further instructions", unaware that Malam Bashar had already succumbed to torture and untreated injuries in captivity.

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His wife and daughter were eventually released, but he did not survive, highlighting the deepening insecurity in Zamfara and across the North, where communities are trapped in a cycle of ransom payments, extortion, and violence.

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Entire villages have been abandoned, while others are forced to pay levies and taxes to bandits just to farm, work, or sleep in peace, with families mortgaging their homes and auctioning their belongings to rescue loved ones.

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The fact that many of these atrocities are committed by individuals who share the same language, faith, and cultural background as their victims, yet display a level of brutality that defies humanity, is particularly disturbing.

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It is no longer tenable to pretend that these criminals are outsiders alone, and the North must confront the painful truth that its own people are deeply involved in this carnage.

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In January 2018, an article titled "Still on Murderous Fulani Kidnappers" examined how individuals identified as Fulani became involved in violent kidnapping, with police reports showing suspects confessing to rape, murder, and extreme violence.

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The article raised questions that still demand answers today, including how pastoralists abandoned their traditional livelihood for kidnapping, who supplies them with sophisticated weapons, and how communities and government can jointly put an end to this madness.

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Years earlier, at a 2014 international conference on pastoralism, it was warned that terrorists were disguising themselves as herders to exploit farmer-herder tensions, with recommendations for proactive security measures that were never fully implemented.

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Today, the consequences are evident, with the conflict evolving beyond grazing disputes and driven by economic desperation, weak security structures, and the infiltration of organized criminal networks, many operating near lucrative mining sites across the North-West and North-Central.

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Maru Local Government, for instance, hosts gold and lithium deposits that have attracted illegal miners and criminal opportunists, highlighting the need for clear land-use policies, mapped grazing routes, and modern livestock systems to reduce clashes and curb cattle theft.

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Strengthening rural security through community policing, early warning networks, and tighter border control is equally essential, with dialogue remaining important but past peace deals having repeatedly failed.

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Banditry must be confronted at its roots by restoring state presence in remote areas, rehabilitating repentant offenders, and dismantling ransom networks, with communities supporting security agencies by forming vigilance groups and sharing intelligence.

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The North itself must wake up and take responsibility for its own security, as no foreign power will save it, and no external military presence can solve what is essentially an internal crisis.

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Traditional rulers, religious leaders, community elders, youth groups, and civil society must unite to reclaim their communities, while rural youth need real alternatives to crime, such as skills training, micro-credit, and agribusiness opportunities.

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The North cannot continue outsourcing its survival, and stability will not be imported from abroad, with the North's salvation coming from within or not at all.

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The region must confront the monsters in their own style, mercilessly, fearlessly, courageously, and, if necessary, brutally, in the unwavering defence of its people, dignity, and future.

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A verse in the Holy Quran warns of a tumult that will affect not only those who caused it but also the innocent, and that tumult is already here, with the question now being whether the region will act before more innocent lives are lost.

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Ultimately, the destiny of the North is in its own hands, and the time to act is now, to protect communities, demand accountability from leaders and security agencies, and refuse to surrender the land to criminals who speak the same language yet betray the faith and values of the people.