Former Sokoto State governor and current Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal, has admitted that his administration engaged bandits through unofficial backdoor channels during his tenure.

Tambuwal made the disclosure while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he also described banditry in Nigeria as a blend of both foreign and local elements.

“We did engage bandits through back door channels,” he confirmed.

The senator explained that insecurity in the country has deep roots, pointing to regional instability in the Sahel as a major contributor.

“Bandits are a combination of foreign elements and Nigerians. With the problems in the Sahel, particularly in Libya downwards, we have been having this problem… people don’t remember that this problem did not start today,” he said.

He recalled the influx of arms into Nigeria dating back to the 1980s, adding that the country’s porous borders have made it easy for foreign fighters and weapons to flow in.

According to Tambuwal, unlike Boko Haram which has a clear command structure and ideology, bandit groups operate more like criminal enterprises.

“Boko Haram, you can say that they have a command structure and they are ideologically driven, but banditry… yes, they have some leadership, but even among them, they fight themselves, so it’s hard to understand,” he added.