Insecurity: Radda Bows To Bandits’ Pressure, Initiates Negotiations
After two years of bravado about not negotiating with the bandits terrorising Katsina State, Governor Dikko Radda says his administration has secured truce with bandits in four local government areas and is pushing for a truce in the remaining frontline local governments affected by banditry.
The negotiation is coming as the bandits ramp up daily raids and attacks, killings and abductions in the eight frontline local government areas.
The governor, who before now had denounced those clamouring for dialogue with the criminals, on Monday admitted that peace deals were signed with the bandits in Jibia, Batsari, Danmusa, and Kurfi local government areas.
Radda made this known while unveiling an 18-month European Union-funded project on Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience to be executed by the International Organization for Migration with funding from European Union.
“I can assure you that due to this locally made community peace initiative, we are able to resolve crises in four of our frontline local governments out of the eight that we already have, and negotiation is going on in two additional frontline local governments,” he said.
He said crisis has led to closure of schools and markets, and abandonment of farms while parents buried their children and elderly persons fled their ancestral homes.
The governor said the state is facing an “unprecedented security and humanitarian” situation.
“In Jibia, Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Safana, Sabuwa, Faskari, and Dandume Local Governments, our frontline communities, community schools have been closed down, farms abandoned, markets shut down, children have missed education, parents have buried their children, and elders have fled their ancestral homes due to this conflict.
Radda reiterated that apart from insecurity, the state faces drought, desertification and shrinking of farmlands, which escalate resource competition and deepen vulnerability, as well as the land use system.
He admitted that economic stagnation and youth unemployment have further fueled the crisis, saying, “These are not isolated issues, they are interconnected crises that demand integrated, holistic and community-driven solutions.”
The governor said the project has been designed to tackle the root causes of the conflict and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable villages and communities.
Earlier, the IOM Chief of Mission, Dimanche Sharon, said the CPCRR project targeted over 95,000 persons across communities in Katsina and Zamfara states.
She explained that over 1.3 million people, including women and children, have been displaced by conflict in the North-West region of the state in February 2025.
“Too many families have been displaced, too many farms abandoned, and too many lives disrupted by insecurity.
“Yet, despite these challenges, the people of Katsina and Zamfara have shown resilience, determination, and the will to rebuild”, Sharon added.
