Recent developments in Katsina State have significantly reduced banditry-related attacks, particularly in frontline local government areas such as Batsari, Jibia, and parts of Safana and Danmusa.
While many residents welcome the relative peace, opinions are divided over what is truly behind the lull in violence.
Lawal Rabi’u, a resident of Batsari town, expressed appreciation for the military and local authorities’ efforts in facilitating peace talks with bandits operating in the region.
“We are fully in support of the military’s efforts. Their intervention has brought some relief to our lives,” he said. Rabi’u, however, called for the same attention and effort to be extended to neighbouring areas like Safana and Danmusa to ensure lasting peace across the region.
He also raised concerns about the motive behind the bandits’ willingness to embrace peace, alleging that discovering a new mining site may have shifted their focus.
“They are now making money from mining. My worry is, if the gold runs out, they might return to their old ways and start attacking us again,” he cautioned.
According to Hamisu Sai’d, the project coordinator of the Peace for All organisation, the peace negotiation initiative in Batsari and Jibia, the peace process was initiated by the bandits themselves.
“After a series of successful military offensives, the bandits reached out to us for a ceasefire. So far, eight gangs in Batsari and six in Jibia have surrendered their weapons and are giving peace a chance,” he said.
Sai’id urged the Katsina State government to further support the initiative, describing it as an effective approach yielding results in the troubled regions.
In the Shekewa community, Musa Yusuf confirmed that the area has witnessed three months of uninterrupted peace. However, he blamed lingering insecurity on cross-border attacks allegedly carried out by bandits from neighbouring Zamfara State.
“The military needs to help us control these movements from Zamfara. That’s where most of the trouble is coming from now,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, many citizens have commended the Katsina State government’s broader security strategy.
The recent recruitment and deployment of over 1,400 members of the Community Watch Corps (CWC) to volatile areas has been widely praised. Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda has reportedly committed over ₦5 billion towards procuring operational vehicles, motorcycles, sophisticated drones, advanced communication gadgets, and combat equipment, ensuring that frontline and vulnerable communities are no longer left to fend for themselves.