Arresting the Bandits of Organization

 Arresting the Bandits of Organization

Part Two: How to Identify, Trap, and Counter Them

The Psychology of Banditry in Organizations

Banditry in organizations doesn’t start with the theft itself. It begins long before inside the mind and behavior of an individual who is unwilling to be bound by fairness, accountability, or discipline. If leaders and investors can recognize these early signals, they can often stop a bandit before the first loot is taken.

So how do you tell the difference between an anchor of integrity and a seed of banditry?

The Anchors of Integrity

They show up on time, consistently.

They perform their work diligently, even when no one is watching.

Their reports are accurate and timely.

They follow policies not out of fear, but because they respect systems.

They don’t seek shortcuts or throw others under the bus.

These individuals rarely become bandits. They may not always be perfect, but their character shows a commitment to fairness. They are the pillars that keep an organization steady.

The Seeds of Banditry

They are quick to challenge rules not out of innovation, but to avoid accountability.

They resist policies, claiming they are “too rigid” or “unnecessary,” but offer no real solutions.

They look for loopholes rather than pathways of value.

They undermine colleagues, shifting blame to protect their image.

They chase recognition without real effort, and when confronted, they justify misconduct as “smartness.”

These behaviors are often the first smoke before the fire. Such individuals may not have yet found the perfect avenue to loot, but their mindset is preparing them for it.

This distinction matters, because no audit, no policy, and no system can ever be effective if leadership cannot read the psychology of their people. Recognizing the seeds of banditry early is the first line of defense.

Psychological Pointers of a Bandit in the Making

1. Allergic to Transparency

They dislike documented systems, prefer verbal agreements, and avoid putting things in writing. Why? Because shadows give them room to maneuver.

2. Charm Without Substance

Bandits often rely on charisma talking big, making promises, drawing people in. But behind the charm, their deliverables are shallow or borrowed.

3. Defensiveness When Questioned

Honest employees welcome scrutiny it validates their work. Bandits, however, grow defensive, irritated, or even hostile when asked for evidence.

4. Obsession With Privileges, Not Duties

They focus on what they are “entitled to” allowances, perks, shortcuts while conveniently ignoring what they owe to the organization.

5. Divide-and-Rule Mentality

They quietly pit colleagues against one another, breaking unity. By creating confusion, they cover their own tracks.

6. Pattern of Excuses

Every missed deadline, every incomplete task, always has a clever excuse. A pattern emerges where responsibility is always shifted elsewhere.

7. Resistance to Checks

Whenever a new control system or monitoring tool is introduced, they are the first to resist, calling it “bureaucratic” or “unnecessary.”

8. Excessive Networking With Vendors/External Parties

While relationships are good, bandits blur the line between professional liaison and personal advantage. Unchecked closeness with suppliers is often a red flag.

9. Enjoying Informal Power

They may not hold formal authority, but they create their own “kingdoms” by controlling flows of information, approvals, or access.

10. Double Standards

They expect strict compliance from others while breaking rules themselves. Their creed is: rules are for you, not for me.

When you put these signs together, a pattern of bandit psychology emerges. And the beauty is you don’t need to wait for financial theft to happen. These behaviors themselves are the warning bells.

Analogy 1: The Travel Voucher Bandit

In the wild days of history, bandits thrived on trade routes. Merchants would journey with their goods, only to be ambushed midway and forced to surrender a part of their wealth. The bandit didn’t own the goods, didn’t earn them, but claimed them as his “right.”

Now look at today’s organizations. A liaison officer travels ten kilometers but claims two hundred. On paper, it looks official a neat voucher, signed and submitted. Yet it is nothing more than an ambush on the company’s resources. The officer robs not with a gun, but with a pen.

Counter to the Ambush:

Standardize travel cost charts just like old kingdoms set “safe routes” with fixed tolls.

Ensure every voucher matches actual distance. GPS logs, receipts, or digital fares make it transparent.

Allow exceptions (because even in the wild, storms could delay merchants), but require explanations for them.

Random audits, like patrols on the old highways, keep bandits wary.

Analogy 2: The Vehicle Maintenance Bandit

In villages once terrorized by bandits, it was common for raiders to demand “protection money.” Farmers paid, not because they wanted to, but because the raiders claimed they were providing “safety.”

Corporate bandits use company vehicles the same way. Every month, new repair bills appear sometimes real, often inflated. A headlamp replaced three times in six months, a tire “changed” every few weeks, a service record that looks more like fiction than fact. Worse, the vehicle doubles as a personal family car, but the company pays the entire bill. The bandit has created his own “protection money” scheme inside the organization.

Counter to the Extortion:

Assign garages/workshops so bills are not fabricated but directly routed to the company.

Maintain a logbook of every repair, like kingdoms kept ledgers of taxes. Each new bill must tie to the last.

Breakdown repairs must be justified, just as raiders once had to prove why new “tribute” was demanded.

If the car is used for personal trips, introduce a cost-sharing ratio. Integrity means paying one’s fair share.

Analogy 3: The Procurement Bandit

In the lawless frontiers of the past, bandits didn’t just steal on the road they struck trade hubs. They controlled markets, inflated prices, and pocketed the difference. A bag of grain worth ten coins was sold for twenty, with the surplus flowing into the gang’s chest.

In today’s organizations, procurement officers play the same game. A refrigerator costing ₦200,000 is “negotiated” at ₦400,000. The supplier hikes the price willingly, knowing part of it will circle back in cash to the officer’s pocket. Soon, finance, approvers, and even auditors take their share. What should have been a fair exchange becomes a marketplace under siege by corporate bandits.

Counter to the Market Siege:

Multiple Quotations: Always demand at least three quotations. Just as merchants once checked multiple markets before striking a deal, organizations must compare prices.

Digital Evidence: If a product sells online for ₦200,000, attach that link or screenshot alongside the vendor’s invoice. Let evidence speak louder than excuses.

Centralized Procurement: Instead of leaving each officer to his own devices, pool purchasing power under a transparent committee.

Rotation of Responsibility: Don’t let the same officer handle the same category endlessly bandits thrive on familiarity.

Analogy 4: The Stock Manipulation Bandit

In history, bandits often raided storehouses. Grains, weapons, or valuables meant for entire villages mysteriously vanished. Sometimes, the records showed full barns, but the shelves were half-empty the local bandit chief had siphoned off supplies.

In organizations today, inventory and stock records become the same playground. Products are booked in the system but are missing physically. Walk-in customer sales are re-routed under bogus accounts, allowing discounts and promotions to be encashed privately. Stock “losses” are explained away as “damage” or “expiry,” but behind the story lies quiet theft.

Counter to the Storehouse Raid:

Conduct surprise stock audits, not just scheduled ones.

Link every stock movement to digital tracking scanning, barcoding, RFID.

Separate customer walk-in accounts from corporate accounts to prevent manipulation.

Enforce dual control: no single individual should have custody over both records and stock.

Analogy 5: The Customer Account Bandit

Traditional bandits loved identity tricks posing as someone else to claim rights they didn’t own. They used fake names, false alliances, and disguises to loot resources.

Corporate bandits mimic this by creating ghost customer accounts. Discounts meant for genuine buyers are siphoned through these fake accounts. Walk-in customers are “shifted” under prearranged IDs, so promotional benefits can be cashed out.

Counter to the Disguise:

Customer accounts must be verified with valid identity and traceable details.

Link discounts strictly to unique identifiers (like tax ID, phone, or verified email).

Randomly call back customers to confirm purchases and ensure legitimacy.

Penalize internal staff found re-routing accounts with heavy sanctions.

Analogy 6: The Policy-Bending Bandit

On the frontier, bandits thrived where the king’s law was weak. They rewrote rules of the land to suit themselves. What was forbidden for peasants was permitted for the gang.

In the modern office, the same spirit exists. Policies and guidelines apply to “everyone,” yet bandits bend or break them when it suits their agenda. They create parallel hierarchies an organization within an organization. What benefits them moves forward quickly; what doesn’t is stalled or sabotaged.

Counter to the Lawless Frontier:

Enforce “policy visibility” everyone should know what rules exist and when exceptions are made.

Document every policy deviation with a justification note.

Rotate policy oversight to prevent one person from becoming the “unofficial law.”

Protect whistleblowers who raise red flags when policies are deliberately bent.

Watch loyalty signals: True employees speak of our organization. Double agents constantly compare you to their old organization.

Analogy 7: The Betrayal Bandit

In history, not all bandits wore masks or carried weapons. Sometimes, the greatest danger came from a villager inside the town who secretly guided travelers away from safe routes into the hands of waiting raiders. On the surface, he looked like a helpful guide, but in truth, he was an accomplice of the enemy.

In modern organizations, this same betrayal happens when an employee who is paid to serve and protect the company’s interests quietly directs customers to a competitor. Imagine a staff member in a showroom who, instead of persuading a walk-in customer to buy, subtly whispers, “You’ll get a better deal at that shop down the road.”

Why would he do this? Often because he has arranged a side deal perhaps commissions, kickbacks, or favors from the competitor. Sometimes it is revenge for personal grievances. Other times, it is simply negligence dressed as friendliness.

But the result is the same: the company loses not just a sale, but potentially a lifetime customer. And the betrayal stings deeper because it comes from within.

Counter to the Betrayal Bandit:

Mystery Shoppers: Just as kingdoms once sent disguised scouts to test loyalty, organizations should occasionally use silent customers to observe staff behavior.

Customer Feedback Loops: Train staff to ask, “How did you hear of us?” and follow up with customers later to confirm they were served properly.

Reward Loyalty: Tie part of staff incentives to customer retention and satisfaction, not just attendance or task completion.

Direct Monitoring: Randomly monitor sales patterns if one staff member has unusually low conversions despite equal walk-ins, it’s a red flag.

Culture of Belonging: Create pride in the organization so employees see customers as assets they are entrusted with, not opportunities to trade away.

Analogy 8: The Double Agent Bandit

History is full of tales of spies and double agents individuals who gained trust in one kingdom while secretly feeding intelligence to another. They were often the smartest, most disciplined, and most convincing people. Kings relied on them, not realizing that every move, every secret, was being carried back to the enemy camp.

The modern corporate double agent looks much the same. On the surface, they are flawless: punctual, intelligent, articulate, diligent. They charm leadership with their dedication, presenting themselves as indispensable. But behind the mask, they are not working for your progress they are working to stall it.

Their mission is subtle sabotage:

Misguiding leaders with half-truths and misleading data.

Derailing projects by planting doubts at the right time.

Slowing down profitability by recommending wasteful approaches.

Ensuring the organization never outgrows the parent company or rival they remain loyal to.

Unlike the petty voucher thief, this bandit doesn’t rob openly. He robs silently—by making sure the organization never realizes its true potential.

Counter to the Double Agent Bandit:

Cross-verification: Never rely on one “brilliant star.” Always validate key information and decisions through multiple channels.

Rotation of roles: Double agents thrive where they hold permanent control. Rotating responsibilities prevents deep entrenchment.

Independent audits: Let independent parties verify claims, reports, and strategies.

Track outcomes, not just effort: Charm can mask sabotage. Focus on measurable impact, not personality.

The Bandit Kingdom

History tells us that when bandits operated unchecked, they did not remain scattered thieves. Over time, they formed gangs, then clans, and eventually entire kingdoms. These weren’t just random raiders; they became rulers of territories, levying their own taxes, running their own laws, and silencing anyone who resisted. People paid tribute not because they agreed, but because resistance felt impossible.

In organizations, the same transformation happens if banditry is not confronted early. What starts as one inflated voucher, one fake customer account, or one fabricated maintenance bill soon grows into a culture. Travel voucher bandits shake hands with procurement bandits. Stock manipulators cover for policy-benders. Customer account fraudsters ally with auditors who should have stopped them.

Together, they form a “Bandit Kingdom” inside the organization—an invisible empire that feeds on the company’s resources while appearing to be loyal employees. They control approvals, silence whistleblowers, and rewrite internal systems. The organization becomes a hostage, not to outside competitors, but to its own insiders.

Counter to the Bandit Kingdom:

Break the chain early. Never let isolated theft normalize into group behavior.

Build parallel vigilance. Surprise checks, rotating oversight, and transparent systems are like patrol armies guarding the borders.

Create a culture of courage. Reward whistleblowers, elevate integrity, and remind everyone that silence is complicity.

Leadership as the true sovereign. Just as kingdoms once needed strong rulers to keep bandits at bay, organizations need leaders with the will to prioritize ethics over comfort.

If you allow small bandits to settle, they will one day crown themselves kings. And then, the organization will no longer belong to its shareholders or vision it will belong to the bandits who seized it from within.