A local government, Kankia in Katsina State, has reportedly entered a new peace agreement with terrorists. This comes after a surge of attacks and kidnappings in the area, as well as across the state.
It was gathered that the deal was finalized on Saturday. A video shows some terrorists riding motorcycles and firing guns into the air, with no military or security presence intervening.
The peace pact is said to involve specific groups of bandits who continue to carry out raids and abductions in neighbouring local governments where previous agreements have failed.
In the past few months, Katsina has witnessed a spike in violent attacks and kidnappings, and authorities in Kankia Local Government appear determined to pursue negotiations.
The state government has maintained a formal distance from the deals, leaving communities caught between insecurity and controversial peace initiatives.
It is also being reported that bandits have imposed a ₦20 million levy on farmers in Gatakawa, a community in Kankara Local Government Area, also in Katsina. The levy must be paid before they are allowed to harvest their crops.
Families now have to sell their properties or borrow money to meet this demand and access their farmlands.
A security analyst, Bakatsine, wrote in an X post describing the financial toll on residents:
“For farmers in Gatakawa, the levies are crippling. Families have been forced to sell assets and borrow heavily just to access their crops,” he said.
Bakatsine also explained that the peace agreements with bandits have not improved safety in the area.
He added, “The situation is a sign that the so-called peace agreements with bandits are largely ineffective. Communities remain vulnerable, and fear is now deeply embedded in daily life.”
Residents have reported that even after paying the levies, bandits often return with additional demands, keeping families in a cycle of economic hardship.
We claim to be a sovereign country, yet we negotiate with terrorists, sign peace pacts, and enable them. We allow good citizens to suffer various forms of injustice while the perpetrators walk free as if nothing happened.
