Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga, a retired former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, has suggested that criminal gangs destabilizing local communities are likely being aided by influential figures within government and other high-ranking positions. Tsiga shared this perspective during a media briefing in Kaduna, which centered on the passing of Major-General Rabe Abubakar, who lost his life while being held by bandits in Katsina State.
Reflecting on his own abduction from his Katsina hometown earlier this year, Tsiga described the ordeal as harrowing. He recounted a specific instance while in captivity where he overheard a bandit leader receiving a phone call at 2 a.m. regarding a bulk purchase of ammunition. When Tsiga attempted to challenge the leader, the man dismissed him, noting that his group coordinates directly with current officials rather than those who are retired.