Bandits Are Demanding Schools, Hospitals, Grazing Reserves In Peace Talks – Katsina Govt Reveals

The Katsina State Government has confirmed that bandits are demanding the construction of schools, hospitals, and grazing reserves as part of ongoing peace negotiations in the state.

According to the State Commissioner for Security, Nasiru Mu’azu, the demands surfaced during community-led talks with the gunmen in several local government areas, including Dan Musa, Jibiya, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa.

Mu’azu noted that the collapse of the previous amnesty programme worsened insecurity, with attacks spreading from five LGAs between 2011 and 2015 to 25 LGAs by 2023. He clarified that the initiative to dialogue with the bandits was not government-driven but rather led by community leaders seeking to end years of killings, cattle rustling, and kidnappings.

“It was not the Katsina government that initiated the peace agreement. It was the community that demanded it,” Mu’azu said, stressing that village leaders engaged directly with the gunmen, which resulted in peace agreements across the affected LGAs.

He added that the militants’ demands included the building of schools, hospitals, and support for livestock rearing.

Meanwhile, a report by security research firm Beacon Consulting revealed that in the first quarter of 2025 alone, Katsina State recorded 247 attacks, leaving 341 people dead and 495 kidnapped.

In July, the state government unveiled plans for a rehabilitation programme targeting repentant gunmen who recently surrendered their arms.