On Wednesday, February 1st, a viral video surfaced on Twitter showing notorious terrorist leader Kachalla Baleri displaying wads of new Naira notes.
In the unverified video, which was released by Twitter user @Edrees4P, Baleri, who spoke in Hausa, claimed to have up to N10 million in new notes, which he intended to use to buy more weapons.
According to reports, some defence blogs have claimed that the new Naira notes in Baleri’s possession were ransom received from the relatives of abductees.
Kachalla Baleri was one of 19 bandit and terrorist leaders who were declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters in November 2022, with a N5 million bounty placed on each of them.
The individuals have been terrorising the states of Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, causing widespread fear and insecurity. The appearance of Baleri in the viral video with new Naira notes has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for the government to take action against the terror threats in the region.
The viral video also highlights the ongoing scarcity of new Naira notes in Nigeria, which has led to long lines at banks and ATMs as people try to access their money. The scarcity has also resulted in black market transactions, as individuals sell their new Naira notes at inflated prices.
It is imperative that the government takes swift action to apprehend Kachalla Baleri and bring him to justice. Furthermore, the government must also take measures to address the root causes of terrorism and banditry in the region, which include poverty, lack of development, and job opportunities.
