Bandits Release 26 Hostages After Face-To-Face Talks With Katsina’s Faskari Council Chairman
The Chairman of Faskari Local Government Area in Katsina State, Hon. Surajo Aliyu Daudawa, personally entered the forest to negotiate with bandits, successfully securing the release of 26 kidnapped victims from the Tafoki area.
Despite repeated warnings from security agencies and government authorities against negotiating with terrorists or bandits, Daudawa reportedly met face-to-face with a Fulani group that had previously entered into a peace agreement with the local community.
The negotiation was led by a notorious bandit kingpin, Isiya Kwashen Garwa, who facilitated the safe release of the abductees on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the scene showed the local government chairman standing beside Garwa, who was heavily armed, with weapons and ammunition visibly tucked into his jacket.
Faskari Local Government, one of the areas severely affected by bandit attacks in Katsina State, has witnessed frequent kidnappings and violent raids in recent years.
SaharaReporters previously reported that the Defence Chief stated that they had repeatedly seen that whenever people tried to make peace with the bandits, it backfired.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, cautioned Nigerians against entering into peace deals or negotiations with armed bandits, warning that such efforts had consistently backfired and only emboldened criminal groups.
Speaking in an interview conducted in Hausa language, General Musa said those who attempt to make peace with bandits are only putting themselves and their communities in danger, as the so-called truces are often used by the criminals to regroup and expand their operations.