Northern coalition condemns Katsina govt’s release of bandits

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has strongly condemned and rejected the Katsina State Government’s justification for facilitating the release of about 70 suspected and convicted bandits under the guise of sustaining so-called peace deals, warning that the move 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 halt the bloodshed, kidnappings and destruction plaguing Katsina State and the wider North-West region.

However, it 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 the analogy as deeply flawed, misleading, and dangerous.

According to the coalition, 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,” Charanchi said.

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The coalition clarified that it is not opposed to dialogue or reintegration in principle, but stressed that negotiations with violent groups should only occur after the state has demonstrated overwhelming capacity to defeat them.

It warned that what is unfolding in Katsina suggests the opposite, with suspects facing trial allegedly being released as preconditions for peace, judicial processes subordinated to executive bargaining, and communities still experiencing renewed attacks despite concessions.

“This approach sends a dangerous signal that violence pays, justice is negotiable, and the state lacks resolve,” the statement said.

CNG also expressed concern over what it described as the silence of government regarding victims of banditry and their families. It noted that thousands of citizens have lost loved ones, homes, farmlands and livelihoods, while many witnesses risked their lives to cooperate with law enforcement and testify in court.

“Releasing suspects or convicts without transparent truth-telling, judicial closure, restitution, and meaningful compensation amounts to a betrayal of these victims and a grave injustice to society,” Charanchi said, adding that peace which ignores justice only deepens fear, resentment and insecurity.

The coalition further questioned the timing of the decision, noting that it comes amid a resurgence of attacks and killings in parts of Katsina State, including Malumfashi Local Government Area. According to CNG, the continued violence exposes the fragility and inconsistency of the peace deals being defended.

“If the agreements are effective, communities should not still be under siege. If bandits are truly repentant, violence should not persist,” the group stated.

CNG however, called on the Federal Government and security agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other intelligence bodies, to intensify and better coordinate efforts to tackle banditry and terrorism across Northern Nigeria.

It also urged the Katsina State Government to immediately suspend any plan to release suspected or convicted bandits under peace arrangements and to respect ongoing judicial processes, including trials and sentences.

The coalition advocated a security-first strategy aimed at decisively degrading the operational capacity of bandits before any dialogue is considered.

Where engagement eventually occurs, it said, such processes must be transparent, accountable and anchored on disarmament, restitution, deradicalisation and long-term monitoring, with victims placed at the centre of any peace initiative.