According to a report by the Cable, on Sunday, May 17, 2026, concerns over insecurity in Northern Nigeria deepened after Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda revealed that informants embedded within communities, government circles, and even security structures are frustrating efforts to defeat bandits.…....
Former Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, also weighed in on the issue, warning that the biggest threat in the fight against banditry is not always the criminals carrying weapons, but those secretly leaking information to them.
“In Nigeria’s war against banditry, the most dangerous weapon is not always in the hands of those pulling the trigger. It is in the hands of those who pass the information,” Aruwan said.
He explained that informants have continued to undermine military operations and intelligence efforts across several states affected by bandit attacks.
According to him, these individuals worsen the security crisis by supplying critical information to criminal groups before security agencies can act.
Aruwan’s comments followed Governor Radda’s shocking revelation that bandits often receive classified information almost immediately after high-level meetings are held.
“There was a day I called a high-level security meeting at Government House. Five minutes later, the bandit kingpin knew everything we discussed, there are moles within the system,” Radda revealed.
The governor lamented that the presence of informants within communities has made security operations extremely difficult, as criminals are frequently tipped off about troop movements and planned raids.
Radda also stated that many of the bandits terrorizing Katsina are not strangers, but locals who are well known within their communities.
He noted that some residents provide logistics, fuel, medication, and intelligence support to criminal gangs operating in forests across the state.
The report has triggered renewed calls for stronger intelligence gathering, community cooperation, and tougher action against individuals accused of aiding criminal groups behind the scenes.
