Katsina’s untidy strategy for bandits

Across the North-West, and most painfully, Katsina State, banditry continues to ravage communities, claiming lives, destroying livelihoods and steadily eroding public confidence in the state’s ability to protect its citizens.

At a time when Nigerians are desperate for clarity, firmness and coherence in the war against violent crime, the reported plan by the Katsina State Government to release about 70 suspected bandits under the guise of a peace process raises grave questions about direction, consistency and judgment.

For years, Katsina authorities repeatedly distanced themselves from negotiations with bandits, insisting that criminals would be confronted strictly within the framework of the law. That posture has now shifted. Government officials have offered explanations, arguing that the planned release of over 70 suspects is part of a broader strategy to consolidate peace in some troubled local government areas.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu Danmusa, said that at least 15 local government areas entered into peace agreements, leading to the release of about 1,000 abducted persons by “repentant bandits.” He likened the arrangement to prisoner exchanges during wars.

He provided figures to justify the approach, saying 36 abductees were freed in Safana, 42 in Kurfi, 310 in Sabuwa, 36 in Faskari, 60 in Danmusa, 36 in Malumfashi, 28 in Musawa, 33 in Matazu, 62 in Dutsinma, 31 in Jibia and 125 in Bakori. According to him, the proposed release of suspects was a necessary condition for sustaining these peace deals.

Before then, a letter was sent to the chief judge of the state requesting the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate the release of suspects. The letter, signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, stated that 48 suspects accused of various banditry-related offences had been forwarded by the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs. Another list of about 22 inmates facing trial before different high courts was also submitted.

The ministry argued that the proposed release was a “condition precedent” for the continuation of peace accords signed between frontline local governments and bandits, citing section 371(2) of the Katsina State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2021.

These explanations, widely reported by Daily Trust and other national newspapers, may sound persuasive on the surface, yet they sit uneasily with earlier categorical denials by the same government that it was negotiating with bandits or offering them concessions. That contradiction alone fuels public confusion and deepens scepticism.

More troubling is the fact that respected groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), including Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle Belt Forum, have all expressed serious reservations about the plan. Their concerns underscore the wider unease that this approach is neither tidy nor reassuring.

Beyond Katsina, this episode exposes a deeper malaise in the North-West’s handling of banditry. States swing between military action, public denials of talks, secret negotiations and sudden peace deals, often without transparency, coordination or a clear legal framework. The result is a haphazard and incoherent strategy that weakens the authority of the state.

No one disputes the need to explore legitimate avenues to end violence, but banditry in the North-West is not an abstract policy problem; it is counted in mass graves, razed villages, orphaned children and traumatised communities. Thousands have been killed or abducted; millions displaced. Against this backdrop, the optics and implications of freeing suspected or convicted bandits cannot be brushed aside in the name of expediency.

At Daily Trust, we are not opposed to peaceful conflict resolution. Dialogue has its place, especially where it leads to genuine disarmament, reintegration and justice.But peace processes must be transparent, credible and anchored firmly on the rule of law. What Nigerians are witnessing instead is policy dissonance – one arm of government denouncing negotiations while another appears to endorse them, tacitly or otherwise.

This contradiction is even more glaring at the national level. Recently, the Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (retd), spoke firmly against ransom payment and negotiation with bandits, warning that such measures embolden criminals and undermine security operations. Yet, at the same time, the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), led by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, is perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be giving tacit approval to some negotiations. Images circulating on social media and official statements about the reunion of released abductees with their families have reinforced this perception.

When security messaging is inconsistent, criminal groups exploit the gaps. Bandits quickly learn where the state is firm and where it is pliable. Communities, too, are left confused – unsure whether to cooperate with security agencies and endure short-term pain for long-term stability or push for local deals that may offer temporary relief but weaken the system.

Perhaps the most neglected voices in this debate are those of the victims. Families who lost loved ones deserve justice, not justifications for freeing those accused of killing them. Farmers driven off their lands deserve security, not policy experiments. Security personnel who have paid the ultimate price deserve clarity and consistency from the authorities they serve.

Releasing bandits without clear conditions, judicial transparency, victim involvement and enforceable guarantees of accountability sends a dangerous signal: that violence pays, that crime can be negotiated away and that the state is willing to trade justice for fragile calm. Experience in the region shows that many such deals collapse once incentives dry up or rival groups feel excluded. Worse still, they often trigger fresh cycles of violence as other armed groups seek similar concessions.

Peace is not merely the absence of gunfire; it is the presence of justice, order and trust in institutions. Any approach that undermines these pillars is ultimately counterproductive, no matter how well-intentioned it appears.

Nigeria must choose clarity over confusion, justice over expediency and coherence over capitulation. The people of Katsina and indeed the entire North-West deserve a security strategy that is firm, consistent and anchored on the rule of law.

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