Northern Groups Condemn Katsina’s Release Of Bandits

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the Katsina State Government’s justification for facilitating the release of about 70 suspected and convicted bandits under the guise of sustaining “peace deals”.

The coalition warned that such an approach undermines justice, security and the authority of the state.

In a statement issued by its national coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition acknowledged the urgent need to end the bloodshed, kidnapping and destruction ravaging Katsina State and the wider North-West, but insisted that peace founded on appeasement and judicial compromise is neither sustainable nor just.

CNG faulted the state government’s comparison of the bandits’ release to wartime prisoner exchanges, describing it as “deeply flawed, misleading and dangerous.”

Charanchi said, “The comparison drawn by the Katsina State government between the release of bandits and wartime prisoner exchanges is deeply flawed, misleading, and dangerous. Nigeria is not engaged in a conventional war with a recognised adversary bound by rules of engagement.

“Bandits are criminal terrorists who have murdered citizens, razed communities, raped women, displaced families, and destabilised rural economies. Treating them as equal negotiating partners without first breaking their capacity to inflict violence undermines the authority of the state.

“CNG is not opposed to dialogue or reintegration in principle. However, history and basic security logic are clear that negotiations with violent groups must only take place after the state has demonstrated overwhelming capacity to defeat them. Peace must be negotiated from a position of strength, not weakness.

“The coalition argued that what is unfolding in Katsina suggests the reverse: suspects facing trial are being released as preconditions for peace, judicial processes appear subordinated to executive bargaining, and communities continue to experience renewed attacks even as concessions are made.

“This approach sends a dangerous signal that violence pays, justice is negotiable, and the state lacks resolve. Equally troubling is the silence of the Government on the fate of victims and their families. Thousands of citizens have lost loved ones to bandit attacks,” CNG said.

He urged the state government to immediately suspend any plan to release suspected or convicted bandits under peace arrangements and to respect judicial processes, including ongoing trials and sentences.