The Security Commissioner, Nasiru Mu’azu, told the BBC that the requests emerged from community-led negotiations with the gunmen in local government areas including Dan Musa, Jibiya, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa.
The Katsina State government has confirmed that bandits demanded the construction of schools, hospitals, and grazing reserves as part of ongoing “peace efforts” in the state.
The Security Commissioner, Nasiru Mu’azu, told the BBC that the requests emerged from community-led negotiations with the gunmen in local government areas including Dan Musa, Jibiya, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa.
He acknowledged that the collapse of the state’s earlier amnesty programme worsened insecurity, spreading attacks from five LGAs between 2011 and 2015 to 25 LGAs by 2023.
Mu’azu explained that the initiative to negotiate did not come from the government but from village leaders who sought dialogue with the gunmen to halt years of killings, cattle rustling, and abductions.
“It was not the Katsina government that initiated the peace agreement with the militants – it was the community that demanded it.
“It was the village leaders who negotiated with the repentant gunmen, which led to the signing of peace agreements in the local government areas of Dan Musa, Jibiya, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa.”
Confirming the development, the Katsina State Commissioner for Security, Nasiru Mu’azu, told the BBC that the bandits had tabled a list of demands.
“These demands include the construction of schools, the construction of hospitals, and support for animal husbandry,” Mu’azu said.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2025, a report by Nigerian security research firm Beacon Consulting revealed that 341 people were killed and 495 kidnapped in 247 attacks across Katsina State.
In response, the Katsina State government announced in July plans to launch a programme aimed at reforming repentant gunmen who recently surrendered their weapons.
The initiative will offer literacy classes and vocational training to help reintegrate these individuals into society.
The State’s Adult Education Agency has been tasked with designing the rehabilitation programme. Under the scheme, gunmen who hand over their arms will have the chance to study both modern and Islamic education, while also learning about the consequences of violence, murder, and revenge.
However, earlier this week, the state government convened a high-level meeting to address the ongoing security crisis.
The state Commissioner for Security briefed stakeholders on the current situation and confirmed to the BBC that the government plans to meet some of the bandits’ demands in a bid to restore peace.
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