Stakeholders in the academia, security and intelligence agencies have called for de-politicisation and de-ethnicisation of the fight against bandits and banditry to get victory over the criminals.

This is just as they also called for inter-agency collaboration to collectively fight bandits and triumph in providing safety for lives and properties.

This was the position at an online stakeholders engagement between researchers on a TETFUND project entitled, "Armed Bandits and Banditry in Nigeria: History, Character and Panacea", led by Jide Akanji, of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, as the Principal Investigator (PI) and six other researchers.

The over two hours online discussion featured contributions on the history, causes and solutions to banditry in Nigeria.

Participants at the stakeholders' engagement came from Oyo State Security Network codenamed, Amotekun, Airforce, Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Action Aid, Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Navy, Department of State Services and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

Akanji, said the research was interested in understanding the perspectives of security and intelligence community to the issue of banditry.

The different speakers noted that while there is capacity of the security community to fight bandits and banditry, the causes of banditry which included "poverty, unemployment, ungoverned spaces, poorly motivated workforce, get-rich-quick syndrome and moral  bankruptcy among politicians must be tackled".

Miffed by the rate at which police personnel are killed and logistics destroyed, they called on government to provide social security for those involved in the fight against banditry and families of deceased. 

The stakeholders similarly asked government to reclaim large vast of forest for gainful use, stating that forests spaces are being used as hideouts of criminals in Nigeria.

While thanking participants for providing useful insights from their respective agencies' perspectives, Akanji said the research aimed to touch states experiencing banditry with a view to providing evidence-based solutions to government.

Co-moderator of the event, Adebimpe Adenugba, said the research will proceed with training of researchers and data collection before entering the field, adding that the security situation in Nigeria is already threatening the peace and unity of the country.