According to a report by Daily Post on Sunday, September 21, 2025, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged authorities to safeguard recent truces negotiated between communities and armed groups in Katsina State, stressing that fragile peace processes must not be undermined and that reintegration, similar to the approach used with Niger Delta militants, should be considered for former fighters.
He made these points after peace talks in Matazu, Faskari and Sabuwa local government areas drew attention because several wanted bandit leaders reportedly attended.
The cleric, known for advocating dialogue as a path to ending banditry, described the agreements as delicate and in need of protection by both government and security agencies.
He warned that any action that jeopardises ongoing arrangements could reverse gains made during the recent meetings, which aimed to reduce violence and restore stability to affected communities.
Gumi’s intervention followed reports that high-profile bandit kingpins were present at the local-level talks.
He framed the engagements as pragmatic efforts to create breathing space for communities suffering repeated attacks, and he urged that the state work to consolidate peace through measured security oversight and social reintegration programmes.
The suggestion to treat repentant fighters with reintegration measures echoes earlier national strategies used in other conflict zones.
Gumi asked that those involved in building and sustaining the truce be allowed time to implement community-level arrangements, and that the security architecture around these processes be strengthened to prevent collapse or exploitation by spoilers.
Former senator and rights activist Shehu Sani responded with strong criticism of the dialogue approach, arguing that talks with notorious bandits risk emboldening criminal elements.
He pointed to the collapse of previous peace deals in Katsina and neighbouring Zamfara as evidence that similar initiatives have failed to protect communities in the past.
Sani emphasised that mediators, including Gumi, had intervened in earlier deals that ultimately did not hold, leaving residents exposed to renewed attacks and kidnappings.
He urged that the state consider prosecution and decisive security action against perpetrators rather than relying solely on negotiation, framing justice and accountability as the sustainable path to long-term safety.
The differing perspectives reflect a broader debate about how best to end banditry in north-west Nigeria: one side favouring engagement and reintegration as tools to reduce violence, the other insisting that criminal acts demand firm legal and security responses, both men have national profiles and their views underscore the complexity of translating local truces into lasting peace.
He said: Bandits who have killed thousands, kidnapped innocent people, should not be rewarded with dialogue. They should be prosecuted or outrightly eliminated.Continue, Full, Reading>>>>
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