CRIME OF BANDITRY IN NIGERIA: BEYOND LEGALESE

Abstract

The nation has come under unprecedented wave of criminality by bandits who have seized the nation by the jugular especially in the Northern part of the country. Although criminal statutes exist, the criminal justice system appears paralyzed to apprehend criminals and mete out deserved justice. The paper examined the legal framework, root causes and effect of banditry on society, victims and the nation. The doctrinal research methodology was deployed with reliance on primary and secondary materials. The study finds that while penal sanctions exist, the crime continues to flourish. Huge sums of money are being paid as ransom which indirectly supports illegal purchase of small arms and light weapons used by the bandits to carry out barbaric killings, razing communities and looting livestock. These activities violate constitutional rights of citizens: right to personal liberty, freedom of movement, and right to life under sections 35, 41 and 33 of the Constitution, violations of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015. The study finds there exists poor arrests and prosecutions which encourages lawlessness. It recommended the swift arrest and prosecution of bandits to be based on new all encompassing federal Statute with dedicated courts in the criminal jurisdictions for
speedy trials. Well armed and trained vigilante should be set up for communities and Government should establish early warning protocols for attacks with hot lines to nearest Police and Army formations. Victims should access trauma counselling, receive compensation and their communities rebuilt by Government. Special military and police tactical forces in
crisis prone areas should be deployed to end the cycle of violence. Government should improve governance dividends and target vocational skills to reduce poverty and unemployment among the youths in the North.