Katsina: Bandits, LGA review peace deal
Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State has reviewed its peace deal with bandits as part of efforts to consolidate gains from the agreement. It will be recalled that in February this year, Jibia became the second LGA to negotiate a peace accord with bandits, following Batsari LGA. Confirming the development, a community leader in […]
Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State has reviewed its peace deal with bandits as part of efforts to consolidate gains from the agreement.
It will be recalled that in February this year, Jibia became the second LGA to negotiate a peace accord with bandits, following Batsari LGA.
Confirming the development, a community leader in Jibia told Daily Trust that Monday’s meeting was the fourth since the beginning of the truce.
“Yes, this is our fourth review meeting. We had three earlier meetings where we assessed the progress of the agreement and identified areas needing reinforcement.
“The essence of the meeting, as I said, was to evaluate the initiative. For instance, if there are certain attitudes we observed from herders, particularly their boys, which could undermine the peace deal, we raise them. Likewise, if they notice issues from our communities that could frustrate the deal, they also point them out, and together we resolve them.
“The third meeting, I recall, was when a new chairman of the local government assumed office. Since the deal was sealed under the former chairman, we invited the herders to meet the new chairman and vice versa. At that meeting, they raised concerns about boreholes and hospitals closer to their settlements.
“The chairman promised to address the issues, and in this fourth meeting, they confirmed that those concerns had been resolved. That was the essence of our discussions, and with each meeting, the peace deal is further consolidated,” he said.
Quit notice given to some communities in Kankara LGA
However, while the Jibia peace accord appears to be strengthening, the situation is different in Kankara, where some communities west of Kankara town were reportedly issued a quit notice by bandits.
Daily Trust gathered that the peace deal in Kankara did not have government backing, as community leaders—frustrated by incessant attacks—went ahead to engage the bandits independently.
A reliable source from the area said that shortly after news of the deal became public, dozens of security personnel stormed the western part of the LGA, allegedly killing two people and hundreds of animals.
“What happened was that Kankara had not officially entered into any peace deal, but some communities did. As a result, the bandits shifted their attacks to areas that did not sign the deal. That prompted some religious and community leaders in Kankara to seek official approval to negotiate, but when permission was not granted, they went ahead and struck a deal with the bandits.
“On a Monday, the peace deal was signed. Two days later, security agents moved into the western part of the LGA and killed two people and hundreds of animals. So, yesterday (Tuesday), we heard the bandits issued a three-day ultimatum for the communities to vacate the area,” the source explained.
Northern democrats warn against negotiating with bandits
The League of Northern Democrats (LND) has cautioned against increasing calls for negotiations with bandits terrorising Northern Nigeria, insisting that any dialogue must be based on verifiable disarmament and genuine de-escalation measures.
The warning was contained in a communiqué issued after the group’s meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, signed by its Assistant National Publicity Secretary, Mohmood Tunde Hassan.
The LND stressed that true peace processes cannot be built on appeasement.
“While all legitimate measures to end insecurity are welcome, giving criminals a free pass in the name of dialogue is unacceptable and amounts to legitimising terror.
“True peace processes require military-secured areas, enforced ceasefires, neutral weapon-free venues, third-party verification of disarmament, and strict civilian protection,” the statement read.
It faulted the Katsina State government’s previous attempts at dialogue with bandits, saying the process ignored these fundamentals and undermined both security and accountability.
The group challenged Northern governors to rise to their constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property.
Beyond security, the league urged stakeholders to rededicate themselves to repositioning the North within Nigeria’s mainstream by tackling existential challenges facing the region.
The group also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its transparent handling of the ongoing political party registration process, urging it to sustain credibility to strengthen public confidence in the electoral system.
“All pre-qualified bodies and stakeholders are called upon to respect the rules of engagement in the overall interest of Nigeria’s democracy,” it added.