Armed motorcycle snatcher apprehended by residents in Plateau as roadside robberies rises due to access to weapons by militias
By: Zagazola Makama
Residents in Plateau State have reportedly apprehended one of two suspected local militia elements following an alleged motorcycle robbery attempt, amid growing concerns over the activities of armed criminal groups operating along roads and rural communities, killing people and stealing their valuables.
It was that the suspects were allegedly attempting to steal a motorcycle when residents intervened and caught one of them. The suspects were also reported to have been armed with a locally fabricated pistol.
The identity of the second suspect, reportedly named Nelly, has been mentioned in online accounts, with claims that he remains at large.
However, the exact location of the incident, the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery and the identities of those involved are yet to be independently established.
Zagazola Makama observes that the incident highlights another dimension of Plateau State’s security challenges, where communities are already grappling with recurring violence involving armed groups, farmer-herder disputes, reprisals and attacks on vulnerable roads.
Though, the arrest has gotten little or no media attention due to the fact that the attacker was a local militia.
Beyond these longstanding conflicts, the activities of these local criminal gangs, militia elements, motorcycle snatchers and armed robbers pose an additional threat to residents, commuters and traders who depend on rural roads for their daily activities.
The proliferation of locally fabricated firearms and other weapons among criminal elements further complicates the security situation, particularly where disputes over land, cattle rustling and communal violence have weakened trust among communities.
While the farmer-herder crisis remains a major concern, security agencies must also pay attention to criminal activities that are not necessarily connected to communal or ethnic conflicts.
