“Government Turned Us Into Bandits” — Armed Group Speaks During Fresh Peace Talks in Katsina

A shocking revelation emerged in Katsina State as members of a bandit group claimed that the Nigerian government played a role in pushing them into criminality, during a new peace meeting held on Saturday.

The meeting, which brought together community leaders and council chairmen from Charanchi and Batagarawa Local Government Areas, was aimed at brokering peace between residents and the armed groups that have long terrorised rural communities in the region.

During the discussion, one of the bandits openly addressed the crowd, alleging that their activities were influenced by political motives beyond their control.

“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,” he declared.

He further claimed that insecurity in northern Nigeria persists not because the groups refuse peace, but because of the government’s unwillingness to end it.

“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 they didn’t know where we were hiding. Today they met us, and by God’s grace, we have agreed to stop.”

The speaker suggested that the Nigerian authorities have the means to bring peace but have failed to act decisively.

“We don’t have the power or wisdom to bring peace except through the Nigerian government. People say we are attacking, but it was the government that made us do it. If they want peace, we will stop. If not, we will continue,” he said.

He concluded by urging citizens not to direct their anger at the bandits but at the political leaders he accused of fueling the crisis.

“If you want to cry, don’t cry with us — cry with your government, because they made us do what we have been doing,” he said.

The meeting comes amid renewed debate over how best to address the worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria, with some leaders, including Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, advocating dialogue and amnesty instead of military force.

Gumi, who has faced criticism for his stance, recently reiterated that many armed groups are on “revenge missions” due to past injustices. He argued that while their killings are “wrong and unacceptable,” their actions stem from grievances that need to be addressed through reconciliation rather than warfare.

The Katsina “peace deal” is one of several attempts by local authorities to negotiate a truce with armed groups, but many Nigerians remain skeptical, fearing that such agreements may embolden rather than resolve the crisis.