KASHERE, GOMBE STATE — In a chilling revelation that underscores the collapsing security situation in North-East Nigeria, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed announced on Thursday that an estimated 10,000 well-armed bandits have laid siege to communities in Alkaleri Local Government Area.
The Governor made the statement during an emotional visit to thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled their ancestral homes in Bauchi and are currently seeking refuge in a government facility in Kashere, a neighbouring community in Gombe State.
A Region Under Siege
The displaced villagers—hailing from Mansur, Yalau, Futuk, Duguri, and Gwana—recounted harrowing stories of coordinated attacks that forced entire populations to abandon their farms and properties. Governor Mohammed described the humanitarian crisis as “very bad,” noting that his people had been completely pushed out of their lands.
The Governor’s figure of 10,000 insurgents marks one of the most alarming estimates provided by a state executive since the current wave of banditry began. He warned that the criminal elements are not just transient attackers but are actively recruiting locals and outsiders, including displaced artisanal miners from former mining sites, to bolster their ranks.
The Federal Appeal
Standing among the displaced families in Gombe, Governor Mohammed issued an urgent plea to the Federal Government for immediate military intervention.
- The Incursion: The Governor noted that the bandits have established strongholds in the dense forests bordering Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba states.
- The Recruiting Ground: He highlighted that illegal mining activities in the Alkaleri axis have provided a “ready army” of recruits for the bandit leaders, turning economic desperation into a security nightmare.
A Pattern of Displacement
The Alkaleri crisis adds to a growing list of security failures across the federation. From the “selective justice” reported by Buba Galadima in Abuja to the “marginalisation” protests led by Senator Tony Nwoye in the South-East, the Nigerian state is appearing increasingly overstretched.
While the Presidency remains focused on its “carpet, not cancer” defense of President Tinubu’s health and the management of a $9 million U.S. lobbying fund, governors on the front lines are sounding the alarm of a total breakdown in order.
As the IDPs in Kashere wait for a response from the “busy” authorities in Abuja, the question remains: Can the federal security apparatus respond to an army of 10,000 before the Alkaleri axis becomes the next permanent theatre of war?
