Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda has revealed that he granted permission to local communities to negotiate with bandits, a move he says has resulted in over a year of sustained peace in those areas.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Governor Radda explained that the decision was driven by the communities themselves.
He noted that residents, exhausted by relentless attacks and feeling underserved by security agencies, approached the government seeking a local diplomatic solution.
The Governor clarified that while he sanctioned the talks, he maintained a personal and official distance from the negotiation process.
“The problem we had was that when the challenges became overwhelming, the communities approached me,” he said.
He added that the residents of the communities approached him saying, “Your Excellency, we have met with these people and they are ready to lay down their arms. We have suffered so much, and we are not getting the protection we need from security agencies. Please allow us to negotiate with them to find peace.'”
Radda emphasized that his role as governor is to respect the wishes of the people who gave him his mandate.
“I told them they could go ahead, but I would not be a part of it. Who am I to say I don’t like what they want to do? The community has spoken, and I told them to proceed as long as it achieves the results they desire,” the Governor narrated.
The Governor reported that the outcome of these local agreements has been largely positive for the participating villages.
According to Radda, many of these areas have not seen an attack in over twelve months, allowing residents to return to their daily lives and agricultural activities.
“As I speak today, there are communities that negotiated with these bandits and have had no attacks for over a year. When you do see an incident, the perpetrators usually come from other regions, not from that specific location. Most of these communities have gotten what they wanted; they have peace, they move around, and they can go to their farms,” he said.
Despite the success of these community-led efforts, Governor Radda maintained a firm stance on state policy, reiterating that he would not personally engage in dialogue with criminals or formalize a surrender process through his office.
“As a governor, I will not call any bandit to lay down their arms or negotiate,” Radda stressed, making a clear distinction between community-driven peace pacts and official state government policy.
