Veteran journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of the defunct Daily Times and Nigerian Tribune, Tola Adeniyi, has sparked fresh controversy after accusing prominent leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress of playing a role in the emergence and growth of banditry in Nigeria.
Adeniyi made the allegations during an appearance on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo, where he spoke extensively about the country’s worsening insecurity and political history.
The elder statesman claimed that the current banditry crisis did not emerge by coincidence but was allegedly linked to political actions and power struggles that took place before the APC came to power in 2015.
According to him, some leaders of the ruling party had publicly admitted in the past to inviting armed groups into the country as part of efforts to weaken the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“All the leaders of the APC, all their prominent leaders said publicly that they invited bandits into this country to drive away former president Goodluck Jonathan,” Adeniyi alleged during the interview.
He further claimed that the activities of armed groups operating across parts of Nigeria today were allegedly strengthened and encouraged by political interests.
“So the bandits we have, by their own ambition, were created, enhanced and influenced by the APC,” he said.
The veteran journalist also criticised comments previously made by some political figures advocating reconciliation with repentant bandits, saying such positions raised concerns about the relationship between politicians and armed groups.
“That’s why some APC leaders or their agents will say bandits are our brothers; when they repent, we will re-absorb them,” he added.
Adeniyi also referenced the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, alleging that the scale of the incident suggested possible internal collaboration, though he did not provide evidence to support the claim.
“They told us that when bandits needed women, they went to Chibok and gave them 360 girls. There was no way 360 girls would be taken away from anywhere on earth without government involvement. It’s not possible,” he stated.
He further cited a statement often attributed to former Head of State Sani Abacha, suggesting that prolonged insurgencies usually indicate some level of government complicity.
“We had the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, several times being quoted as saying that when insurgency lasts more than a week, government has a hand in it,” Adeniyi said.
The comments have since generated reactions online, with supporters and critics debating the validity of the allegations and the broader issue of insecurity in Nigeria.
Nigeria has continued to face serious security challenges in recent years, including banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and communal violence, especially across parts of the North-West and North-Central regions.
