How tired bandits and their armed leaders control the fragile peace in Northwest Nigeria
From Katsina Times Correspondents
Contacting the armed Fulani bandits is a task outside any established system. They inherently trust no one, a consequence of limited formal education, religion, or awareness; theirs is a criminal existence. They profess repentance but live in fear.
Our strategy was to meet them in markets. We began in Jibiya and Batsari, where the peace process is reportedly 90% successful.
In Jibiya, weeks of failed tactics forced us to negotiate through an intermediary. They agreed to talk under strict conditions: no photographs, no recordings, no questions about names or origins.
They selected a meeting spot at the market's edge.
We asked if the peace would last. "It will last if our leaders agree," they replied. Are you happy with the peace? "Very much so!" They said war is unpleasant and peace is better, even under a bad ruler. They are tired of fighting, but peace depends entirely on their leaders in the forest.
We asked if they are hired for attacks elsewhere. They said each leader commands his own men; an attack depends solely on the leader's order.
In Batsari market, we initially failed. The bandits move in small, focused groups, speaking only for business.
We then used a Maulud festival as a new opportunity. There, we found them in a celebratory mood. In a private corner, under our agreed conditions, we asked about life in the forest.
They described it as bad, constantly in fear and there's lack of infrastructure—everything is brought to them, though at a high price. One admitted, "No matter what you have, if you live in fear, nothing is pleasant."
Will peace last? "That is the opinion of our leaders. They have strength and control. They have weapons, and they give or rent them to us."
Are you hired for attacks? "We will not answer that."
Will you allow elections? "It depends on what our leaders say." Which party will you choose? "Only what we are told." Do politicians visit you? "We have never seen that; that is for our leaders."
They promised us access to their leaders in the forest, but as of this writing, our phone has not rang.
At the 'Yan Tumaki market, we spent two weeks with no success. Their security is meticulous: they arrive in groups of ten, with half remaining outside as guards. They rotate, constantly watching. When they noticed our repeated presence near their gathered goods, they abruptly mounted their motorcycles and left.
A local source confirmed their unreliability. They operate on a strict schedule and avoid speaking Hausa in the market. We learned their area leader once patrolled Danmusa town with an escort, openly greeting people.
Before peace talks in Dutsinma and Charanci, a contact described forest life as joyless. "There is no peace. We go to the market hoping for relief. Even here, we hope for peace to find rest. Nothing is comfortable. If you hear a noise, you think it’s a warplane."
In Dutsinma, after the peace deal, bandits initially interacted openly. Now, they have reverted to terse, transactional exchanges. On two visits, we found no one willing to talk.
WHAT WE UNDERSTAND
The bandits and their leaders are tired and seek the freedom of this truce. Their leadership structure is firmly established; it alone can sustain or collapse the peace.
These men have broken a boundary, establishing their own territory and power. Everything in this area happens only with their permission. The critical, unresolved question is what happens when political leaders seeking votes attempt to use them? Or when the warlords decide to end the peace talks? How long would this peace last?
Time would tell.
Katsina Times
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