NIGERIA

Nigeria, or officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country located in the west of the African continent. The country's border neighbors are Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, while the Gulf of Benin is located in the Gulf of Guinea in the south of the country. The capital of the country is Abuja. Nigeria is mainly divided into four geographical regions: the coastal mangrove swamp zone, the tropical forest zone, the Savannah zone and the semi-desert zone to the north. Nigeria is a country with high temperatures under the influence of a tropical climate. Various ethnic populations, including Christian and Muslim, live in the area.

To give a brief history; With the spread of Islam in the 12th century, existing citystates and many tribes converted to Islam. Accordingly, Northern Nigeria was completely Islamized and the remaining regions came under the influence of Islam. It was Portuguese and English slave traders who first brought European colonialism to Nigeria in the 15th century. Europeans used Nigeria as the main slave trade center and started the Atlantic slave trade. It is estimated that nearly 20 million Nigerians were sold as captives with the slave trade that lasted for 350 years. From the beginning of the 19th century, England began to interfere in the internal affairs of Nigeria and Lagos first became a British colony in 1861. In 1885, the area around the Gulf of Guinea became a British protectorate. After that, England divided Nigeria into two protectorate regions and gathered them under a single governor. The nationalist movements that started after the First World War brought the idea of rebelling against foreigners and achieving independence among Nigerians. Nigeria henceforth proclaimed the Republic in 1963. But after that, internal turmoil started in Nigeria. On May 30, 1967, the Eastern Region revolted as the Republic of Biafra, but the Nigerian government suppressed this revolt with the help of foreign powers. But this civil war lasted more than 30 months and became one of the bloodiest and most terrible conflicts of the 20th century. The Biafra area was filled with thousands of dead and many dilapidated buildings. After 1970, the situation subsided and the oil deposits found in the meantime changed Nigeria's life. On June 29, 1975, General Mohammed came to power with a new military coup. Not long after, the third revolutionary attempt in 1976 ended in failure. However, General Mohammed was killed and his deputy, General Olesegun Obasanjo, succeeded him. General Ibrahim Babangida became the head of state and a military regime was established. The democratization process has been tried to be ensured even though various events have taken place, Nigeria is a federal independent republic, but Nigeria is one of the countries where military coups have taken place the most since its independence and is now governed by a military regime. As if all these were not enough, the activities of armed gangs, which took place in recent years, are also on the world agenda. In this research, I will try to explain exactly the activities of armed gangs in Nigeria.

Although it is managed with a federal management system, security is one of the main problems of Nigeria. The deterioration of the education system, damage to the family structure, economic problems, and the inability to find effective solutions to the activities of armed organizations were listed among the most important factors that worsened the security problem in the country. The problems that started with the shepherd and farmer conflicts in 2008 turned into kidnapping and robbery attempts as of 2015. In the first half of 2019, 1460 people lost their lives in attacks by armed gangs in the country. Armed gangs were also blamed for the abduction of 14 Turkish citizens in 2019. In the statements made that year, it was stated that armed gangs had become the biggest problem for the country. It has been pointed out that the armed gangs have changed their methods over time, the gunmen or gangs first attacked the shepherds and stole the animals, making such attacks more professional over time, and the number of these organizations has increased, and now kidnapping people for ransom has become the agenda. Fulani herders, whose animals were stolen and attacked, provided weapons to protect themselves and take revenge, turning the events in the region into mass bloody conflicts. The media initially attributed the gunman's attacks to shepherds or Fulani, but the truth is that in this case, the main victims were the Fulani. There was talk that armed gangs could be even more dangerous than Boko Haram if not stopped. Looking at the events in Zamfara, shepherds and farmers live together, but people know each other, but they do not bring the criminals to justice. Armed people continued their attacks by taking advantage of the shepherd and farmer conflicts. Claims that the guns were procured from politicians or security forces also facilitated the work of armed gangs in the judicial system. When talking to some of the captured gang members, some security forces admitted that they obtained weapons from people known as bureaucrats and politicians, and said that the weapons came from abroad, namely Libya. Nigerian President Mohammed Buhari has taken different steps to solve the security crisis in the country, taking measures such as cooperating with the notables of the region, using unmanned aerial vehicles and punishing the kidnappers with death. In addition, the Nigerian government decided to issue an additional budget for the solution of the crisis in Zamfara state, where the attacks were the most. Within the scope of the "Puff Adder Operation" held between April and July 2019, 2504 gang members were caught, 207 people kidnapped for ransom were rescued and 1360 weapons were seized. Operations continued in August and 53 gang members were killed.

In the operations that continued in 2020, 350 people from the armed groups were killed in the northwest of Nigeria within 3 months, and the use of motorbikes was prohibited in some states as motorcycle attacks were carried out in the country. It was reported that 10 camps belonging to armed gangs were destroyed during the operations, and many motorcycles, weapons and ammunition belonging to the gangs were also seized. In addition to all the positive developments, it was announced that 2 security guards lost their lives in the operations.

In 2021, we see that armed gangs continue their activities despite all the precautions and sanctions. Also in Nigeria's Zamfara state, armed cattle thieves had killed at least 53 people in villages they attacked for looting. Police and local sources said that motorized gunmen attacked civilians in the villages of Kadawa, Kwata, Maduba, Ganda Samu, Saulawa and Askawa on Thursday and Friday. Increasing gang attacks in northwestern and central Nigeria could not be prevented despite military measures, and the gang members who attacked the villagers were looting and stealing the farmers' crops and animals. In Nigeria, mass kidnappings of students by armed gangs were common, with schools being raided for ransom. This situation also disrupted education in the region. Dozens of gunmen raided a school in Zamfara state and abducted 317 female students from dormitories. Kidnapping and ransoming students was the easiest way for the gangs to make money. The incident, where he took not only students but also health officials as captives, came to the fore. Unidentified gunmen attacked a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria and kidnapped 140 students. Just a few hours before this incident, the authorities announced that 8 doctors and health workers from the Kaduna Health Center, located close to the same area, were abducted. Nigerian local police teams announced that the group attacked Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna state with heavy weapons in the morning and kidnapped 165 students, 25 of whom managed to escape and took shelter in the police teams. Since December, 850 students were also kidnapped by gangs in the country, and most of them were released after the ransom was paid. In the following months of the same year, it was reported that groups with powerful weapons, which the Abuja administration described as bandits, continued to gain strength thanks to the ransoms they received. It was stated that armed gangs took advantage of the weakness of Nigeria, which continues to fight ISIS and Boko Haram. That year, more than a thousand children were kidnapped while they were at school, and thousands of educational institutions were closed because of this. The people were trying to raise money by selling their lands so that their children would be free, and some were leaving their homes out of fear. Senior military officials and gang leaders, whose names have not been released, said Abuja had paid ransoms to armed groups for stolen weapons and abducted persons. Soldiers, intelligence workers and mediators who saw the gangs' camps stated that these people were not simply bandits, but had enough ammunition to deal with the Nigerian army. Top officials, whose identities remain anonymous, reported that the most important security issue in Africa's most populous country is mass kidnapping for ransom. An intelligence officer, who asked not to be named, announced that a deal was made with a gang for an anti-aircraft threatening President Mohammad Buhari, and this information was reportedly confirmed by a senior Nigerian official. Emphasizing that the gun was seen as a threat to Muhammed Buhari, who wanted to go to his hometown Daura by plane, the officer said that 20 million naira was paid to the gang to get the gun back as part of the agreement. In the same year, according to the news in the national press, an air operation was carried out in the region. During the operation, the camp of the gangs in the Bokkolo region was bombed and many gang members were neutralized. 

When we come to this year, 2022, we see that no solution has been found to the problem of armed gangs and their activities continue. While it was stated that gangs attacked the villages again in January, it was stated that 100 civilians were killed in the attacks of armed gangs on villages in the Zamfara state of Nigeria, according to local news sources. With the latest statement made by the Nigerian administration, it was reported that the number of people who died in the attacks on villages reached 200. The Nigerian government has deployed thousands of soldiers to prevent the attack on the villages. However, it is stated that the measures taken are not sufficient to prevent attacks. In February, according to the news in the national media in Nigeria, armed gang members with motorcycles attempted to attack the Nigerian Defense Academy in Kaduna state. After the attack, 20 gang members were neutralized in the operation organized by the army against armed gangs. Last year, motorcycles were banned in some states due to the recent attacks by gunmen on motorcycles in the country. It seems that it was not effective. Also in February, in the operation of the Nigerian Defense Academy against armed gangs in the Kaduna state of the country, 55 gang members were neutralized and 25 people were injured. It was announced that 154 people lost their lives in an armed attack carried out by gunmen on motorcycles in the Kanem region of Plateau province on April 10, and approximately 4800 people left their homes after the attack. In addition, it was stated that many houses were set on fire in the attack. Information and Culture Minister Mohammed blamed armed gangs and Boko Haram for the attack. Humanitarian aid was given to the victims, but it is possible to analyze that there was still no definitive solution to the problems, based on the events that took place in early May. On 5 May, an operation was carried out against armed gangs in the Daura region of Katsina state of Nigeria. Local sources reported that 12 people, including 8 women, were rescued in the operation, 4 gang members were captured and a significant amount of ammunition belonging to the gangs was seized. Attacks on villages by criminal gangs continue in Nigeria. An armed group in the country's Zamfara province attacked 3 more villages on 8 May. It was stated that 48 people lost their lives and many injured in the attack. The attackers burned a police patrol vehicle, killing two security guards and setting fire to many houses. Again, on the 11th day of May, it was reported that armed people attempted to attack in the Rafi region of the province, and 15 people who were taken hostage by armed gang members were rescued in the operation carried out after the attack. Local sources reported that 3 armed gang members escaped with injuries, and 2 motorcycles and important ammunition belonging to the gangs were seized. It was also stated that the rescued people were in good health and were handed over to their families.

Although no solution has been found yet to stop the activities of armed gangs, which continued until a few days ago, the local people's grievances continue. While no solution has been found to the problems of ISIS and Boko Haram, the local people of Nigeria also suffer both material and moral damage due to armed gangs. Even if local resources try to provide humanitarian aid for the aggrieved people and to find a solution with operations, it is still a mystery what path the people and the administration will follow, as it is not a radical solution.

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