11 Katsina LGAs Enter Peace Deal With Armed Bandits
By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times | September 25, 2025
At least 11 local government areas in Katsina State have entered into peace agreements with armed bandits, a move that has sparked heated debate among supporters and critics.
The affected LGAs include Jibia, Batsari, Danmusa, Safana, Kurfi, Kankara, Faskari, Dandume, Sabuwa, Musawa, and Matazu. Reports indicate that the agreements were reached through mediations led by traditional rulers and community elders in bandit-controlled areas.
Armed Negotiations Raise Concerns
The peace talks have been marked by scenes of bandits arriving with AK-47 rifles, some dressed in military fatigues, and later departing with their weapons without any disarmament process. Security experts warn that this undermines state authority and signals weakness in the enforcement of Nigeria’s arms-control laws.
Supporters Cite Benefits
Proponents argue that the deals are already restoring normalcy in rural communities. In Safana, farmers have returned to their fields and markets are reopening. Similar reports of reduced abductions and attacks have emerged from Batsari and Danmusa.
“If our people can farm and trade without fear, then this peace has value,” said one elder who took part in the negotiations.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda acknowledged that some local governments were pursuing dialogue but insisted that communities and their leaders, not the state, bore responsibility. He reiterated his hardline stance that his administration would never formally negotiate with bandits, except in cases where fighters voluntarily surrendered after facing state firepower.
Critics Warn of “Rewarding Criminals”
Security analysts and human rights advocates have condemned the process, stressing that negotiating on the bandits’ terms legitimises criminality.
“The government is talking to killers still holding their weapons. This is dangerous for victims who lost relatives to these crimes,” said a Katsina-based rights lawyer.
National media outlets have also accused the state of “double-speak”—publicly denying peace deals while quietly enabling them through traditional rulers and council leaders.
Adding to the controversy, Governor Radda, at an EU-supported peacebuilding programme under the Conflicts Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) initiative in Katsina, said both victims and repentant bandits who surrender weapons would benefit from support packages. Critics say this amounts to “rewarding oppressors and the oppressed alike.”
Legal and Security Implications
Constitutional lawyers argue that Nigerian state governments and councils lack the authority to grant amnesty or broker such deals, a power reserved for federal security agencies. Experts warn that the process risks elevating bandit groups into quasi-legitimate armed factions, further weakening state control.
Analysts Call for Conditions
Security specialists insist peace will only last if:
Armed groups fully disarm under legal supervision.
Offenders face justice in line with Nigerian law.
Victims receive compensation and legal redress.
Federal and state security forces enforce the agreements.
Without these measures, they caution, the current deals may amount to a “temporary silence of guns” that leaves the roots of violence unresolved.
