“Please Don’t Kill Them”- Wife Of Missing Bandit Appeals To Nigerian Military

A heart-rending video making the rounds on social media has captured the desperate plea of a woman identified as the wife of a missing suspected bandit named Muhammad, throwing fresh spotlight on alleged extrajudicial killings during anti-banditry operations across Nigeria’s troubled Northwest.

In the clip, which has been widely shared on platforms including TikTok, Instagram and Facebook within the past 48 hours, the woman, speaking in tears in what appears to be an open field, addresses her husband directly while appealing to soldiers.

Soldiers killed her husband, who is a Fulani bandit.

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Read what she said:

“Oh, my beloved, oh Muhammad, the love of my life. If you are alive, may Allah grant that we meet again. If you are no longer alive, may Allah bless your soul and may Allah curse the soldiers who- Peace… pic.twitter.com/ITG4srR3JE

— Ozor Ndi Ozor (@OzorNdiOzor) March 15, 2026

“Oh, my beloved Muhammad, the love of my life. If you are alive, may Allah grant that we meet again. If you are no longer alive, may Allah curse the security operative who killed you,” she says emotionally.

She then turns her message to the military, urging restraint in ongoing security operations.

“Nigerian soldiers, if you find our men involved in robbery or any wrongdoing, please do not kill them. Once you have captured them, killing them is also wrong. Please stop killing people after arrest. Capturing them alive is the right thing to do and they should face proper legal procedures,” she emphasised.

The video comes at a time when Nigerian security forces have intensified crackdowns on banditry, particularly in states like Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto and Katsina, where armed groups have killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands over the years. Human rights reports, including those from groups monitoring the region, have repeatedly flagged concerns over excessive force, arbitrary killings and lack of accountability during such operations.

NaijaChoice News notes that while the military has recorded significant successes in neutralising bandit leaders and camps through airstrikes and ground assaults, public trust has been eroded by persistent allegations of suspects being executed after capture rather than being handed over for trial.

The woman’s appeal has triggered heated debates online, with many Nigerians calling for the armed forces to uphold the rule of law even in the heat of battle.

“Suspects must face justice in court, not bullets after arrest,” one social media user commented, a sentiment echoed across several threads.

Others, however, argue that the harsh realities of fighting heavily armed bandits who show no mercy to civilians make split-second decisions inevitable.

This incident underscores the delicate balance Nigeria continues to grapple with – stamping out the banditry menace that has claimed over 13,000 lives in the last decade while ensuring security operations respect human rights and due process.

As the video continues to trend, stakeholders and rights groups are urging the military high command to investigate claims of extrajudicial killings and reassure citizens that justice, not vengeance, remains the guiding principle in the war against bandits.