The governors of Nigeria's North-West region have reached a consensus to permanently end negotiations with bandits, insisting on unconditional surrender. This decision follows years of failed peace deals that did not curb violence. The new approach shifts focus toward stronger security measures and community-based policing strategies.
Governors' Declaration
At the commissioning of the N12.6 billion Yandaki–Shinkafi–Kofar Sauri Road project in Katsina State, Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu delivered a firm message on behalf of the region's leadership. "We will not negotiate with any criminal, nor will we accept any offer from them unless they surrender unconditionally," Aliyu declared. He added that state governments across the region are ramping up investments in security infrastructure and deepening collaboration with security agencies to dismantle bandit networks.
A Record of Failure
Negotiation has been tried repeatedly in the North-West, and repeatedly, it has not held. As far back as 2016, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna states adopted dialogue and settlement initiatives, with state governments paying compensation to identified bandit leaders in return for peace. Negotiations sometimes bought a few quiet weeks for farming and travel, but they did not fix the problem. Analysts identified a recurring flaw: in most truce talks, fighters kept their weapons and mobility, turning dialogue into leverage to win safe passage, taxation rights, or space to rearm. Bandits use negotiations to ensure safe passage and space to arm themselves. As recently as early 2026, reports circulated of Katsina State initiating the release of 70 suspected bandits as part of a peace deal, a move that drew fierce criticism.
Security Agencies' Warnings
Security agencies had repeatedly urged state governments to stop engaging bandits, warning that such moves disrupted military plans and that bandits would return to crime. The Defence Minister had been equally blunt, stating that "bandits do not respect peace deals" and use them as cover to rearm.
The New Approach
The governors' declaration signals a shift toward community-based security architecture as an alternative to dialogue. Aliyu specifically commended Katsina Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for establishing the State Community Guard, a structure Sokoto subsequently adopted after observing its impact. The governors are also urging residents to support security efforts by monitoring and reporting suspicious individuals, acknowledging that bandit operations frequently rely on local collaborators.
Conclusion
Peace discussions, negotiations, and amnesty programmes have not ended banditry, and national-level military deployments have equally failed to resolve the crisis. The governors have run out of patience for a strategy that has, by any honest measure, not worked and are seeking to explore a different path forward.
