Isiya Kwashen Garwa, a notorious bandit leader and one of Nigeria’s 19 most-wanted terrorists, has stunned communities by accepting a peace deal in Katsina State’s Faskari Local Government Area (LGA), raising both hope and skepticism among residents and observers.
The agreement, finalized during a community-led dialogue on Sunday in Hayin Gada, Faskari LGA, involved Garwa alongside other prominent bandit figures like Ado Aleru and Babaro.
According to local sources, the deal stipulates that bandits enter towns unarmed, ensure safe farming and grazing activities, grant mutual forgiveness for past conflicts, and release all captives without ransom demands.
The initiative, facilitated by traditional rulers and community elders using Islamic reconciliation principles, aims to curb the violence that has long plagued Katsina and neighboring states.
Garwa, a native of Kamfanin Daudawa village in Faskari LGA, has been linked to a string of deadly raids, kidnappings, and cattle rustling across the North-West and North-Central regions. Security experts describe him as a key figure in a network exploiting weak state presence and porous borders, with atrocities like the alleged killing of 34 worshippers in Katsina cementing his notoriety.
His unexpected appearance as a self-proclaimed peace advocate marks a dramatic shift, though many question its sincerity.
The Katsina State Government, led by Governor Dikko Radda, has emphasized that it does not directly negotiate with bandits, framing the accord as a grassroots effort supported by ongoing military operations.
The state recently launched a €5.1 million EU-funded conflict prevention project, engaging local institutions to sustain peace efforts.
“This is about building trust and collective responsibility,” said EU envoy Sam Power at the project’s launch.Reactions to the deal are polarized.
Some residents, exhausted by years of insecurity, see it as a potential lifeline. “This could mean farming without fear,” a Faskari farmer shared anonymously.
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