Katsina Government has come under fire over move to free 70 Banditry suspects under secret peace deal.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Katsina State Government is facing mounting backlash over a controversial plan to secure the release of 70 suspects standing trial for alleged banditry, a move critics say threatens justice and public safety.
An official document dated January 2 and marked “SECRET” indicates that the state government wrote to the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), seeking its intervention to facilitate the release of the suspects. The letter, reportedly addressed to the Chief Judge of Katsina State, referenced Section 371(2) of the Katsina State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2021, and described the move as part of conditions tied to peace accords reached with armed groups operating in frontline local government areas.
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The revelation has sparked widespread outrage among legal practitioners, civil society groups, victims’ families and members of the public, who argue that freeing suspects accused of serious crimes undermines the rule of law and denies justice to those affected by years of violence.
Abdullahi Kofar Sauri of the Network for Justice described the policy as “a dangerous precedent,” urging the government to focus on compensating victims and prosecuting offenders rather than releasing them. Security analyst Yahuza Getso also criticised the plan, warning that it could erode public trust in government-led security efforts.
Defending the decision, Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, told DCL Hausa that the move was aimed at consolidating community-based peace agreements with so-called “repentant bandits.” According to him, the accords have already restored relative calm in several local government areas, including Safana, Kurfi, Sabuwa, Faskari, Danmusa, Bakori, Musawa, Matazu and Dutsinma, leading to the release of abducted persons.
Muazu said the strategy aligns with global conflict-resolution practices and is intended to encourage armed groups to lay down their weapons and reintegrate into society.
However, critics remain unconvinced. Security experts point to previous government amnesty and reconciliation efforts that failed to stop armed groups from returning to violence.
Crisis journalist and security analyst, Bakatsine, warned on X that releasing suspects without accountability could strengthen criminal networks rather than weaken them.
“From December 2025 to today, dozens of communities across Malumfashi, Faskari, Kafur, Dandume, Funtua, Matazu, Dutsin-Ma, Musawa and Kankara LGAs have suffered repeated attacks,” he wrote. “Civilians have been killed, farmers shot on their fields, villages forced to pay millions in levies, and entire communities raided for cattle and valuables. Banditry has not ended; it has simply changed form.”
Residents and observers say many peace deals are driven by desperation rather than genuine consent, warning that any agreement that tolerates killings, abductions and illegal taxation amounts to criminal rule disguised as reconciliation.
As public debate continues to rage across social and traditional media, legal experts suggest the issue could soon head to court, with stakeholders seeking clarity on whether due process was followed and whether the policy compromises public safety in the name of peace.
