Community leaders and council chairmen from Charanchi and Batagarawa Local Government Areas of Katsina State on Saturday signed a peace agreement with a group of armed men commonly referred to as bandits.
During the meeting, one of the armed men addressed residents directly, alleging that the wave of insurgency and kidnappings ravaging the region was driven by political interests rather than local grievances.
“It was the government that wanted us to engage in banditry, but now it has called us and told us to stop. Therefore, by God’s grace, we have stopped from today,” the bandit declared at the peace meeting between Batagarawa and Charanchi.
He claimed that the continuation or end of insecurity lies squarely in the hands of those in power.
“If the government wants all this insecurity to end, they have the power to end it — but they don’t want it to end. For the past two months, we have been trying to initiate peace talks, but we couldn’t because they didn’t know where we were hiding. When they finally decided to meet us, they found us and talked to us today,” he said.
“Peaceful coexistence and the end of insecurity depend on Nigerian leaders. If they want us to keep striking, we will. But if they want peace, we will also make it happen.”
The bandit further stated that they acted under government influence and insisted that lasting peace can only be achieved through genuine government commitment.
“We don’t have the power or wisdom to bring peace except through the Nigerian government, because everything is under their control. Despite people saying that we are attacking, it is the government that made us do it. If they don’t want us to attack or kidnap people, they can stop it,” he continued.
“You oppressed citizens — if you want to cry, don’t cry with us, the so-called ‘terrorists,’ but cry with your government, for they are the ones who made us do what we have been doing.”
Meanwhile, Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has defended armed groups terrorising northern Nigeria, describing their actions as “revenge missions” rather than acts of unprovoked violence.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, Gumi argued that Fulani herdsmen and bandit groups often retaliate for injustices and losses they have suffered over the years.
“The former governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, went with a government delegation into the bush and met more than 5,000 bandits. They were all complaining — those who lost parents, brothers, and others affected by hostility,” he said.
Although he condemned the killings as “wrong and obnoxious,” Gumi maintained that the attackers’ actions stem from grievances and revenge.
“Yes, I know they have killed, and it’s wrong to kill anybody innocent. This is absolutely an obnoxious thing to do. We don’t support that. But if you know their psychology, they are on a revenge mission,” he explained.
The cleric, who has consistently called for amnesty and negotiation for the bandits, urged the Tinubu administration to pursue peace and rehabilitation instead of military offensives.
“Everybody knows the herdsmen, as well as the Fulani herdsmen. They don’t just attack people. We have been living with them for centuries. They don’t attack people without any cause,” he insisted.
Gumi concluded that sustainable peace in northern Nigeria requires dialogue, justice, and reconciliation rather than continuous warfare.
