Sokoto Governor Aliyu Confirms ‘Meeting With Bandits’ To Seek Peace In Troubled Communities
Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu has defended his administration’s decision to engage with repentant bandits, describing it as a strategic and humane step towards achieving lasting peace in communities ravaged by years of violence.
In a statement released on Friday by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Col. Ahmed Usman (rtd.), the governor said the peace efforts were not driven by fear or weakness, but by a sincere desire to break the cycle of insecurity and rebuild shattered communities.
The statement was issued in response to recent criticism from social media commentator Basharu Giyawa, who questioned the wisdom of reaching out to armed groups. Usman pointed out that Giyawa himself had previously expressed willingness to serve as a mediator—making his current stance contradictory.
“We are not negotiating from a position of weakness,” Usman said. “Our decision to meet with those willing to lay down their arms is a calculated move to restore peace and enable displaced residents to return to their homes.”
He explained that the violence in parts of Rabah, Goronyo, Isa, Sabon Birni, and other local government areas has devastated livelihoods, driven farmers off their land, collapsed food production, and worsened insecurity across the state.
“Our people are living in constant fear and trauma,” he added. “With food shortages pushing prices higher and communities deserted, we must adopt a multi-pronged strategy to recover.”
Usman emphasized that only those who demonstrate a genuine commitment to renouncing violence would be offered dialogue. “There will be strict conditions—monitoring, rehabilitation, and full compliance with peace terms. This is not appeasement. It is a human-centred strategy to protect lives and restore economic activity.”
He reassured residents that security forces remain actively deployed in volatile areas and that military action will continue where necessary. “We are not replacing security operations with talks—we are complementing them,” he said.
Governor Aliyu’s approach aligns with growing calls for state-level solutions to banditry and rural insecurity in northern Nigeria, where conventional military campaigns have often struggled to produce long-term results.
