Francis Sardauna writes that while the overtures of repentant bandits in Katsina State offer a glimmer of hope for peace, genuine and lasting stability depend on their complete and verified disarmament, not empowerment.
Katsina State, nestled in Nigeria’s North-West geo-political region, has for too long grappled with the insidious grip of banditry and other security challenges. The pervasive insecurity has claimed lives, disrupted livelihoods, displaced communities and crippled the local economy of the state.
For years, communities in Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Sabuwa, Kurfi, Musawa, Dutsinma and Faskari Local Government Areas have endured unimaginable suffering at the hands of these hoodlums. Homes have been razed, farms abandoned, and countless lives lost or irrevocably altered.
In recent times, however, there have been glimmers of hope because communities in some of these local governments have signed a peace deal with the armed bandits, which resulted in the return of relative peace and farming activities in their ancestral homes.
From the beginning of this “community-owned initiative” to date, only 14 out of the hundreds of the repentant bandits from Batsari, Danmusa and Jibia local government areas had visibly laid down their arms, including AK47, G3, pumping machine, PKT rifles and ammunition.
While these overtures are undeniably positive, the journey from repentance to lasting peace in the state hinges critically on three non-negotiable steps: the complete and verified disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the former combatants who are roaming the streets with their sophisticated firearms.
Recently, KachallaIsiyaAkwashi-Garwa, whose name is 19 on Nigeria’s most-wanted terrorists’ list, was seen with ammunition strapped around his waist, striking a peace deal with communities in Faskari Local Government Area of the state in the presence of security operatives and top government officials.
Kwashi-Garwa, flanked by other notorious bandit kingpins such as Ado Aleru, Babaro, were seen in a viral video promising to halt attacks on villages and release captives in their custody in exchange for peace in Faskari and other neighbouring local governments.
While condemning the stereotyping of Fulani herders as criminals during the peace accord, Kwashi-Garwa said: “They call Fulani herders bandits. But tell me, which tribe in the world does not have criminals among them? You Hausa people, who say we are bandits, don’t you have bandits among you? Yet, nobody addresses you as bandits.”
After addressing the gathering of traditional and religious leaders, government officials and security personnel, Kwashi-Garwa and his co-conspirators left for their enclaves via motorcycles without surrendering their sophisticated firearms to government or the security personnel.
To many, the peace accord in Faskari and six other local government areas sends the troubling message that Kwashi-Garwa and other violent actors are now dictating the terms of peace, while law-abiding citizens in the state are left to live with fear and uncertainty in their ancestral homes.
Dictating the terms for the ongoing peace agreements in the state, the outlaws have made a series of demands, including the construction of schools, hospitals, grazing reserves and support for animal husbandry.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu, who confirmed the bandits’ demands in an interview with BBC, said their requests emerged from community-led negotiations in Danmusa, Jibia, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, Faskari and Musawa Local Government Areas.
He told the BBC that the bandits had tabled a list of demands. “These demands include the construction of schools, the construction of hospitals and support for animal husbandry,” Mu’azu said.
Perhaps, the commissioner’s revelation has confirmed that the hoodlums are dictating to the state government the terms for ongoing peace agreements. Thus, security analysts said Mu’azu’s revelation indicates that Katsina could only enjoy sustainable peace when the demands of the criminal elements are met.
But as this continues to stir widespread debate among residents and security observers in the state, Governor DikkoRadda-led government has promised to provide business support packages, cattle and industrial tools for the repentant bandits to “prevent violence relapse.”
In a statement jointly signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr. BalaSalisu-Zango and the Director-General, Media, MaiwadaDammallam after a closed-door state-wide consultation on security and governance at the Government House, Katsina, Radda vowed to build 152 homes for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Jibia.
“The governor announced plans for 152 IDP homes in Jibia for displaced families, plus business support packages, cattle, and industrial tools for repentant individuals preventing violence relapse”, the statement added.
Radda, who confirmed negotiation with bandits but termed it community-driven initiative, said: “From the onset, we have ensured that community voices, especially those of women, youths and persons with disabilities are central to planning and implementation. So, the state government has already gone far in this.
“I can assure you that due to this locally made community peace initiative, we are able to resolve crises in four of our frontline local governments out of the eight that we already have, and negotiation is going on in two additional frontline local governments.”
With this confirmation and proclamation of 70 per cent reduction in banditry, the Radda-led government should adopt the disarmament phase of the potential peace dividend to avert perpetuating the cycle of violence and eroding the already fragile trust between most communities, his government and security operatives.
This is imperative because the sight of a former bandit, even one claiming repentance, if still armed, will inevitably breed suspicion, fear and a deep sense of the protracted insecurity orchestrated by the marauders.
Pundits further argued that disarmament is the only powerful and tangible act that signals genuine commitment to peace and allows traumatized communities to begin the long process of healing and rebuilding trust.
Without it, fear will continue to stifle economic activities and social cohesion in the state. Also, without relinquishing the tools (weapons) of their former trade, the bandits’ sincerity to repentance remains questionable and the risk of backsliding remains unacceptably high.
By disarming the repentant bandits, they cannot readily resort to violence, kidnapping, or cattle rustling if their reintegration efforts fail or if they are enticed back into criminal activities. History of failed peace deals in the state shows that when bandits retain their weapons, they often regroup and intensify their attacks.
Communities that have suffered years of violence, displacement and extortion need to see tangible proof that the threat is gone. Therefore, a visible surrender of weapons by these reportedly former combatants will help rebuild confidence in the peace process and the government’s ability to protect its citizens.
The disarmament will also allow the state government to provide support like vocational training, financial assistance, and psychological counseling, giving the former bandits a viable path to a productive life and reducing the incentive to return to crime.
When combined with broader and revolving security measures, the disarmament approach can help disrupt the illegal arms trade and reduce the overall number of firearms in circulation, making it harder for new criminal groups to emerge or for existing ones to rearm.
However, the disarmament process must be transparent and verifiable, involving independent bodies if possible, to ensure all weapons are surrendered and accounted for. The government should also ensure post-disarmament monitoring to prevent re-armament.
Communities must be actively involved in the disarmament and reintegration process. Sensitization campaigns can help manage expectations, address fears, and foster acceptance of former combatants who have genuinely embraced peace.
While the overtures of repentant bandits in the seven local government areas of the state offer a glimmer of hope for peace, genuine and lasting stability hinges on their complete disarmament.
This is not merely a logistical step but a fundamental requirement for building trust, strengthening the rule of law and paving the way for a future free from the shadow of violence.
The path to peace is indeed a double-edged sword and only by ensuring that repentant bandits truly lay down their arms can we grasp the hilt of lasting reconciliation and leave the blade of conflict behind in the state.
Disarming repentant bandits is crucial for lasting peace in Katsina State because it directly addresses the primary source of violence and instability: the proliferation of illegal firearms. Without disarming these individuals, a peace agreement is fragile and can easily collapse, leading to a resurgence of violence.
