Local communities in Katsina State have reportedly entered into negotiations with armed groups, raising fears of a repeat of a sequence whereby the collapse of peace agreements led to renewed violence.
On Sunday, communities in Faskari Local Government Area, one of the worst-hit councils in Katsina State, opened talks with the bandits.
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PREMIUM TIMES gathered from multiple sources that bandit representatives, including figures accused of leading raids and abductions, sat with community leaders at a gathering in Hayin Gada.
The bandits reportedly agreed to halt attacks on villages, allow farmers safe passage, and release abducted persons in exchange for freedom of movement and market access for Fulani and the development of their areas.
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Among the bandits at the event was the notorious Alero, who spoke on behalf of several armed groups. He said the initiative was “not the first of its kind” but the turnout was unprecedented.
Also present was Kwashé Garwa, whose name is 19 on Nigeria’s most-wanted terrorists list. Videos shared on multiple local media show Mr Garwa, with ammunition strapped around his waist, condemning the stereotyping of Fulani herders as criminals.
“In Nigeria, whenever there is a discussion, they call Fulani herders bandits and terrorists. But tell me, which tribe in the world does not have criminals among them?” Mr Garwa said, addressing the gathering in Hausa. “You Hausas, who say we are bandits, don’t you also have bandits among you? Yet, no one stereotypes you with such a name.”
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Mr Garwa vowed that killings and kidnappings would not stop until “injustice” against the Fulani was addressed. “There will be no peace if security agencies do not also stop killing our people,” he added.
Security analysts say Garwa, originally from Kamfanin Daudawa village in Faskari, is linked to multiple raids, kidnappings and killings across Katsina and neighbouring states. His sudden appearance at peace talks highlights what critics describe as a disturbing trend: wanted men recast as local negotiators.
PREMIUM TIMES also gathered that similar peace arrangements were struck in Jibia and other frontline areas, with residents negotiating directly with bandit leaders for safe passage, cessation of raids, and reopening of markets.
Acknowledging the arrangements, Governor Dikko Radda said at the launch of an EU-funded conflict prevention project last week that negotiations were ongoing in several frontline local government areas and credited them with restoring calm in those areas.
READ ALSO: Kwara community on edge as bandits kill, abduct, burn villages
The statement marks a shift in tone for Mr Radda, who previously distanced himself from dialogue with bandits.
He described the deals as “locally-made, community-owned initiatives” that had resolved crises in four of Katsina’s eight high-risk councils.
Yet analysts cautioned that similar peace efforts in Katsina and Zamfara between 2019 and 2021 collapsed after armed groups regrouped and expanded their reach. Many residents also said they continue to pay “taxes” and levies to bandits despite the claims of peace.
Katsina, at the epicentre of Nigeria’s rural banditry crisis, has suffered years of killings, kidnappings and displacement. The International Organisation for Migration estimates that more than 1.3 million people have been uprooted across the North-west since February 2025.
It is unclear if the police played any role in the peace process. Their spokesperson in the state, Sadiq Abubakar, did not respond to phone calls to his phone line.
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