By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Many had, in one way or the other expressed suspicious relationship between them and leveled accusations of complacency against traditional rulers and bandits, especially in northern Nigeria.
Some, out of ignorant condemned traditional council institutions of aiding and abating terrorism ravaging the country Nigeria without knowing the causes effect and intrigue behind the scene.
Why some of these allegations maybe without doubt and correct in some cases, large chunks of the blame are out of ignorance on the parts of those making the allegations, investigation has revealed.
The investigation conducted by our Kaduna correspondent also revealed that most traditional institutions heads in northern Nigeria have come face to face with the terrorists.
Some even warned the monarchs against the consequence of any information attempted to linked their arrest and maltreatment by security to the traditional rulers who are of same faith.
An irresistible situation that some Emirs were told by the terror group leaders that even the security operatives, collating, information about their activities and operations are in their pocket. You know what that means in Nigeria.
Bandits, undercover, dressed in civilian mode, had infiltrated palace and visited several of the traditional institutions heads, heavily armed under them. In some cases intimidations or monitory values were used to shut them up and quiet them after exchanging pleasantries with the bandits.
Recalled that many of the traditional rulers have been accused or even indicted of working with bandits across northern states in Zamfara, Katsina, Yobe amongst others, unknown to Nigerians the forces behind their irresistibility to bandits threats.
For instance, Emirs (name, states withheld), who spoke to our correspondent under serious anonymity for fear of bandits attacks, collectively submitted that they would rather preferred to play along with the bandits than government for security reasons.
According to some of Emirs, playing along with government without necessary security could be detrimental to their lives than playing against bandits, after their encounter with bandits’ sudden visit to their palace, and the warning they handed down to stay clear.
For emirs to even disclosed their predicament to the media directly, is itself a big threats to their life and the lives of their family members who are not protected with updated arms like their counterpart in politics and public offices and appointment.
Recalled that, in an elaborately protest statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna by Director, General Centre for Justice on religious and ethnicity in Nigeria, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa, portrayed Emirs in Borno, Yobe states and their counterpart in Islamic council, of suppoting terrorist group by their action.
In fact, Yobe Emir, was reportedly suspended for his alleged suppoting role with bandits but was later reinstated, but the same emir refused to utter any word for fear of attacks on them, our correspondent gathered.
In conclusion, it was learnt that unless the traditional institutions especially the emirs and Chiefs, are given the necessary security protection, no true and reliable information that would leads to tame insecurity or insurgents, would be gotten fro them as anticipated.
