A new era of security is emerging in Nigeria following the recent negotiated surrender offer by wanted gang leader Bello Turji, in response to the elimination of a significant number of his allies, including at least 76 bandit commanders and kidnapping ring leaders. This series of events has put gang leaders and troublemakers on the defensive.
Turji Vanguard’s offer comes after the elimination of some of his key associates and accomplices, especially since the reorganization of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of Security Services (DSS).
President Bola Tinubu on August 26, 2024, appointed Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi and Mr. Mohammed Mohammed as Directors-General of the Department of Security Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), respectively.
In parallel with the arrest and elimination of the commanders, significant arms caches were seized and the communication networks of the bandits were disrupted, according to credible sources involved in the renewed war.
An informant revealed that the appointment of Mr. Ajayi, hitherto the longest serving Director of the DSS and having served as the State Director in Kogi, has optimized the intelligence resources of the secret agency to combat the bandits.
Notably, Mr. Ajayi launched psychologically-based operations against the bandits and kidnappers, which resulted in the elimination of some notorious crime bosses, including Kachalla Lawali Dodo, Kachalla All Dan Oga, Kachalla Black and Kachalla Sani Kwalba.
A recent series of coordinated operations by the secret police in Kaduna State have resulted in the arrest of a notorious arms supplier to bandits and terrorists known as Mallam Rabo Abdulkadir, in possession of various firearms and ammunition.
In the North Central Region, particularly in Kogi State where Mr. Ajayi previously served, camps of some key terrorist leaders, including Kachalla Bala and Kachalla Shuaibu, were wiped out. During these raids, several members of the groups were neutralized or captured, and key logistics informants were apprehended.
The relentless work of the law enforcement agencies has extended to other regions, such as the North East where a specialized team successfully dismantled a kidnapping ring, and the South East where a notorious commander of the pro-independence group IPOB was arrested for attacking a police station in Enugu.
In a national context, similar operations took place in the South-South and South-West zones, thus contributing to restoring a climate of security in different regions of the country.
This series of coordinated actions carried out by the security forces under the leadership of Mr. Ajayi and Mr.. Mohammed has significantly weakened the networks of crime and terrorism, and offers new hope for the population in search of peace and stability.