The meeting, aimed at reducing hostilities and fostering dialogue, brought together local government leaders and representatives of the armed groups operating in the region.
Government officials and traditional leaders in Katsina State on Saturday held another round of “peace talks” with bandits in the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The meeting, aimed at reducing hostilities and fostering dialogue, brought together local government leaders and representatives of the armed groups operating in the region.
This latest engagement follows a similar peace meeting held last week in Faskari Local Government Area, where notorious bandit kingpins — some carrying weapons and ammunition strapped across their bodies — were in attendance.
Authorities say the peace talks are part of ongoing efforts to address insecurity in Katsina State, which has witnessed repeated attacks and kidnappings linked to bandit groups.
However, concerns remain among residents about the sincerity of the armed groups and the risks involved in negotiating under such tense conditions.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters had reported that notorious bandits leader, Isya Kwashen Garwa, released 40 additional people in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State following a “peace dialogue” between his group and local authorities, officials at the handover said.
The latest release comes just days after 30 people were freed on Wednesday, bringing the total number of released captives to about 70 according to community figures.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Garwa, speaking to government officials as the victims were handed over, put the overall tally at 72, noting that two people had been freed earlier and are not included in the group of 40.
Garwa told officials the releases were made in fulfilment of promises from the peace pact meeting held in Faskari, and stressed that his fighters were not coerced into freeing the captives.
He said he personally went into the bush to ensure those kidnapped were gathered and released to the authorities.
But the bandits leader expressed deep concerns over an incident he said took place on Friday in Ruwan-Godiya, when he alleged security operatives shot and killed members of his community.
He claimed that Hausa civilians were also affected and that men, women and children were killed and motorcycles and other property seized.
Garwa warned that unless the government took decisive action to address the alleged killings, his group would reconsider the peace agreement and could return to violence.
On 18, SaharaReporters reported that the Katsina State government confirmed that bandits demanded the construction of schools, hospitals, and grazing reserves as part of ongoing “peace efforts” in the state.
The Security Commissioner, Nasiru Mu’azu, told the BBC that the requests emerged from community-led negotiations with the gunmen in local government areas including Dan Musa, Jibiya, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa.
He acknowledged that the collapse of the state’s earlier amnesty programme worsened insecurity, spreading attacks from five LGAs between 2011 and 2015 to 25 LGAs by 2023.
Mu’azu explained that the initiative to negotiate did not come from the government but from village leaders who sought dialogue with the gunmen to halt years of killings, cattle rustling, and abductions.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
