A former military governor of the old Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello (retd), has urged the Federal Government to integrate police personnel into military operations and recall retired soldiers to strengthen the fight against banditry and insurgency across Nigeria.
The retired army officer and diplomat, who governed the old Kano State between 1975 and 1978, made the appeal during an interview with Premier Radio Kano over the weekend.
According to Bello, the government and security agencies already know the locations of notorious bandit leaders and possess the capacity to eliminate them, provided there is sufficient political will.
“Wherever these bandits are hiding, the government knows their locations. Security personnel know exactly where they are and how to reach them,” he said.
“If someone insults the Kano State governor today, they can be tracked by the following day because the authorities know their location. Yet bandits such as Turji continue to make provocative statements despite their whereabouts being known.
“Even an ordinary citizen can use Google Maps to locate places. Why then can’t the government? I maintain that the security agencies know where these criminals are.”
Bello insisted that Nigeria has the intelligence, equipment, and military capability required to confront armed groups effectively.
“The government may have its reasons for not pursuing and eliminating them one after another, but no one is above the authority of the state if there is the political will to act,” he said.
“They know where these criminals are and have the equipment needed to track them. How can they continue using mobile phones or appearing on social media if they cannot be traced?
“Some people argue that Nigeria lacks the weapons to prosecute this war effectively. That is simply not true. We have surveillance drones, artillery capable of striking targets within a 25-kilometre range, and military aircraft. Do the bandits have aircraft? They do not. They cannot match the sophisticated weapons and technology available to the government.”
Despite his criticism, Bello commended troops on the front lines, saying they were overstretched because of the scale of insecurity across the country.
“Our troops are doing their best. Insecurity has spread across many parts of Nigeria, making the task increasingly difficult. We need to increase troop numbers substantially and treat this as a national emergency rather than addressing it in a piecemeal manner,” he said.
Drawing on his experience during the Nigerian Civil War, Bello recalled how the country rapidly expanded its military strength by recruiting personnel from the then Native Authority Police, popularly known as ’Yan Doka, and recalling retired servicemen.
“Before the civil war, the Nigerian Army, including the Biafran side, had barely more than 10,000 personnel. Federal forces numbered just over 8,000 at the outbreak of the war. Through intensive recruitment, the strength of the army grew to more than 200,000 by the end of the conflict,” he explained.
According to him, police officers would require only limited additional training before deployment because they already possess basic military discipline.
“If police personnel are integrated into the military, they do not need to be taught basic drills. What they require is combat orientation, weapons handling, and battlefield tactics, which can be completed within a week,” Bello said.
He added that a similar approach had been adopted during the Second World War, when retired veterans underwent refresher training before returning to active service.
Bello also argued that although the Native Authority Police no longer exists, Nigeria still has a large pool of retired military personnel who could be temporarily recalled to support ongoing operations.
“Even if they serve for six months, they can reinforce our troops. If the government adopts this approach, it could make a significant difference in the fight against insurgency,” he said.
The retired colonel further expressed concern over what he described as the shortage of personnel within the armed forces, noting that many battalions are operating well below their required strength.
“In our time, a battalion comprised about 700 soldiers. today, what is described as a battalion may have only around 200 troops, which is barely the strength of one or two companies. That clearly shows we have a manpower shortage.
“The government must rise to its responsibility because this is a serious challenge. There is a clear distinction between conventional warfare and countering banditry or guerrilla warfare. In conventional warfare, you know your enemy and engage them directly. The government must act decisively before the situation deteriorates further.”
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