Bandits Demand Schools, Hospitals, Grazing Reserve – Katsina Government

The Katsina State Government has revealed that bandits person made a bid of demands, including the operation of schools, hospitals, and grazing reserve, arsenic portion of an ongoing bid statement successful the state.

One of the astir contentious debates successful states grappling with insecurity is whether to follow mediation oregon the usage of unit successful addressing the contented of banditry.

In a connection issued pursuing a bid meeting, the Katsina State Government stated: “It was not the [Katsina] authorities that initiated the bid statement with the militants – it was the assemblage that demanded it.

“It was the colony leaders who negotiated with the repentant gunmen, which led to the signing of bid agreements successful the section authorities areas of Dan Musa, Jibiya, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa.”

However, the Katsina State Commissioner for Security, Nasiru Mu’azu, confirmed to the BBC that the bandits had made important demands.

These demands include: operation of schools; operation of hospitals; and enactment for carnal husbandry.

Security experts successful Nigeria person agelong linked the occupation of banditry to a deficiency of infrastructure and the breakdown of instrumentality and bid successful agrarian communities.

During the Katsina stakeholders’ meeting, the commissioner identified injustice arsenic 1 of the cardinal factors that led to the emergence successful cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom.

According to the BBC, contempt the authorities government’s nationalist stance that it remains reluctant to negociate straight with the bandits, the commissioner acknowledged that the illness of the government’s amnesty programme had further worsened the information concern successful the state.

“The commissioner explained however the occupation of weapon unit dispersed from 5 section authorities areas betwixt 2011 and 2015, to 25 section authorities areas betwixt 2015 and 2023, owed to the illness of the amnesty scheme,” the connection aft the gathering said.

Kabiru Adamu, a information adept successful Nigeria, said the inaugural by the Katsina Government could assistance code the state’s worsening information challenges.

“One of the basal causes of the [gunmen] situation is the feeling of oppression among immoderate of them. Without addressing that, the contented cannot beryllium resolved,” said Adamu.

However, helium warned that not each of the gunmen should beryllium granted support:

“It is important to place those genuinely successful request of help, arsenic immoderate person turned transgression into a livelihood. Those who prosecute successful theft and terrorise communities should not beryllium supported, truthful arsenic not to promote further criminality,” helium said.

In the archetypal 4th of 2025, a study by Beacon Consulting, a information probe steadfast successful Nigeria, revealed that 341 radical were killed and 495 kidnapped successful 247 attacks crossed the state.

In July, the Katsina State Government announced plans to motorboat a programme aimed astatine changing the mindset of repentant gunmen who had precocious surrendered their weapons.

The authorities said literacy classes and vocational grooming programmes would beryllium introduced to assistance reintegrate the gunmen into society.

The State’s Adult Education Agency has been tasked with processing the programme to rehabilitate the gunmen.

Under the scheme, those who surrender their arms volition person the accidental to survey some modern and Islamic education, and beryllium taught the consequences of violence, murder, and revenge.

Earlier this week, the authorities authorities held a high-level gathering to code the ongoing crisis. The State Commissioner for Security briefed stakeholders connected the existent concern and confirmed to the BBC the government’s program to conscionable immoderate of the bandits’ demands successful a bid to reconstruct peace.