Amidst rising speculations that some state governments in Nigeria’s Northwest are engaging in talks with bandits to achieve peace, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna governments have all rubbished opening such negotiations, reaffirming that they will only negotiate if and when the armed men disarm and surrender.
There were reports that notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji surrendered arms and released 32 kidnapped victims after peace talks with Islamic clerics. The Zamfara State government, however, asserted it would never negotiate with bandits unless they are “weakened and come begging,” after surrendering all weapons.
Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda once more stated there are no direct talks between his administration and bandits but is supporting grassroots peace initiatives in affected local governments such as Batsari, Jibia, and Danmusa where relative security improvements have been obtained.
Sokoto State officials also dismissed any negotiation, stating that hardened criminals must first voluntarily surrender weapons before negotiations could be pursued.
In Kaduna, Governor Uba Sani confirmed embracing non-kinetic strategies to boost security but denied paying ransom, saying his focus is on supporting victims rather than rewarding aggressors.
Security experts like former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor and the International Institute of Professional Security’s Dr. Abdullahi Muhammed Jabi condemned negotiations with bandits, arguing that it only encourages criminality. Dr. Jabi condemned any amnesty for such masters as Turji, calling for punitive measures.
