KATSINA’S ROMANCE WITH BANDITS

Peace deals with criminals are counterproductive

Early last month, the Katsina State government approved the release of 70 convicted bandits in exchange for about 1000 victims said to have been earlier freed under a community-driven peace arrangement. The move however triggered concerns over the implications of such action in a state already heaving with criminality and general insecurity. Though it is uncertain if the bandits have been released, the government action is coming amid renewed wave of violence across the state. Besides, there are concerns that similar efforts in the past to pacify bandits only emboldened them.

In recent weeks, there have been reported fresh onslaughts on communities resulting in killings, maiming, and abductions. Attacks on Dandume, Kankara, Faskari, Jibia, Funtua, Malumfashi, Kurfi and Dutsin-ma Local government areas are frequent and relentless, despite the rapprochement between the hoodlums and residents of the affected areas. At Kankara, for instance, the bandits recently attacked a wedding motorcade in Unguwar Nagunda community, killed two farmers, abducted some guests and left the bride and many others with varying degrees of gunshot injuries. Another coordinated attacks on several communities in Dandume local government areas left about eight people dead.

Indeed, in the last five years, more than 1500 innocent men, women and children have been reported killed in Katsina despite some form of peace arrangements between the state and the bandits. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), fatalities have risen sharply in the last two years with 495 civilian deaths recorded in 2024 and 533 in 2025. In the face of heightened insecurity, villages are abandoned, farms are laid waste, thousands are displaced while schools and health facilities are shut down.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 20 out of the 34 local government areas in the State have reportedly entered into a peace accord with these bandits. Apparently concerned, the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa (rtd), has warned state governments to immediately stop engaging in peace deals with bandits because such arrangements are not only harmful but also counterproductive. “We have advised all levels of government not to take that route because these bandits are not truthful and will not abide by any agreement. It only makes the fight against insurgency more difficult,” he said.

Indeed, over the years many have continued to question the sincerity and effectiveness of peace deal with bandits. According to a recent report, peace talks and amnesty deals in states including Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi were leverages for armed groups rather than avenues to disarmament. Bandit leaders often use negotiations to secure safe passage, regain freedom of detained members or create space to rearm, while retaining their weapons and operational capacity. Their leaders publicly declare repentance, release captives in staged ceremonies and surrendered a small quantity of arms, only for attacks to resume within weeks. That perhaps explains why former Governor Aminu Masari who held sessions with the bandits later expressed regret at what he described as wasted efforts.

We are not surprised at what is happening to the so-called peace accords with the bandits which boldly advertised government’s helplessness. We warned in this space then that it would be impossible to hold a group of outlaws to any form of agreement. With many sophisticated guns in their possession, what will they do if they run out of cash? But the scale of banditry and criminality in the northwest region and beyond is a replication of the general insecurity across the country for which the authorities must find a more enduring solution. The security agencies must live up to their responsibilities of protecting the people while the states should ensure good use of resources within their domains by providing the enabling environment for job creation and entrepreneurship.