Katsina State Government’s plan to facilitate the release of 70 suspects facing trial over alleged banditry has drawn widespread criticism across the country.
According to an official letter dated January 2 and marked
“SECRET,” the government reportedly requested the intervention of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, ACJMC, to facilitate
the release of the suspects.
The document, said to be addressed to the Chief Judge of the
state, cited Section 371(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of
Katsina, 2021, and described the move as a condition for sustaining peace
accords signed between frontline local government areas and armed groups.
The directive has prompted outrage from legal practitioners,
civil society organisations, victims’ families, and members of the public, who
argue that releasing individuals accused of serious crimes undermines the rule
of law and denies justice to victims.
Critics warn that such actions could embolden criminal
networks rather than deter them.
Abdullahi Kofar Sauri of the Network for Justice described
the plan as “a dangerous precedent,” urging the government to consider
compensation and justice for victims’ families instead of freeing suspects.
Security analyst, Yahuza Getso added that the move “lacks
sincerity” and could weaken community trust in state security strategies.
Defending the policy, the state Commissioner for Internal
Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, told DCL Hausa that the release was
part of efforts to consolidate community-driven peace agreements with
“repentant bandits” in several local government areas.
He said the accords had already brought relative calm to
areas including Safana, Kurfi, Sabuwa, Faskari, Danmusa, Bakori, Musawa,
Matazu, and Dutsinma, where abducted persons were freed.
Muazu argued that the move aligns with global best practices
for reconciliation in conflict situations.
It was gathered that similar decisions by the Nigerian
government have failed, as bandits and terrorists who enjoyed previous freedoms
soon returned to the trenches.
Security analyst and crisis journalist, Bakatsine warned via
his X handle that releasing detained bandits without accountability could
reinforce criminal networks.
He wrote:
“From December 2025 to today, dozens of communities across
Malumfashi, Faskari, Kafur, Dandume, Funtua, Matazu, Dutsin-Ma, Musawa, and
Kankara LGAs have suffered repeated attacks.
“Civilians have been killed, farmers shot on their fields,
villages forced to pay millions in levies, and entire communities raided for
cattle and valuables.
“Many of these attacks receive little or no national
attention, creating the false impression that banditry has ended. It has not.
The violence has simply changed form.”
Residents and observers note that peace agreements often
reflect desperation rather than genuine consent.
They warn that a “peace” allowing abductions, killings, and
illegal levies is effectively a criminal rule disguised as reconciliation.
As debate intensifies across social and traditional media,
legal experts say the matter could soon be subject to judicial review, with
stakeholders seeking clarity on whether due process was followed and whether
public safety is being compromised in the name of peace.
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