From Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto
A security expert in Sokoto, Basharu Altine Guyawa, has raised concerns over the Sokoto State Government’s announcement of its willingness to negotiate with armed bandits, warning that such a strategy could embolden criminals and undermine the efforts of security forces in the region.
Reacting to a statement released on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, by the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, Col. Ahmed Usman (rtd), who expressed the state’s openness to peace talks with bandits ready to surrender, Guyawa argued that negotiation should not replace decisive action against insecurity.
“Negotiating with criminals who have killed, burned, kidnapped, and displaced thousands is not a viable solution. It sends the wrong message that violence pays. These are not aggrieved citizens; they are armed terrorists,” he said.
Guyawa pointed out that previous negotiations with bandits in Zamfara, Katsina, and other states have yielded no lasting results, suggesting Sokoto would likely face similar outcomes. He noted that the government has invested “billions of naira” in security operations, intelligence gathering, logistics support, and community-based interventions, yet attacks persist in rural parts of Sokoto and neighbouring states.
“Despite massive security spending by state governments, our people are still being killed on their farms and in their villages. What has negotiation achieved in Zamfara or Katsina? These groups keep regrouping because there’s no firm stance,” he said.
This reaction follows a Daily Trust report on June 18, 2025, which stated that the Sokoto State Government reiterated its openness to dialogue as a pathway to peace, noting that “many historical conflicts have not ended solely through the use of force.”[](https://dailytrust.com/were-open-to-negotiating-with-bandits-sokoto-govt/)
However, Guyawa warned that such an approach overlooks the complex dynamics of banditry in the North-West, where criminal gangs often use negotiations to regroup or buy time. He cautioned that introducing dialogue without justice or disarmament mechanisms could erode public confidence in the state’s ability to protect its citizens.
“We are not against peace, but there must be accountability. Let us not forget that behind every call for dialogue are families mourning their dead, farmers driven from their land, and communities living in fear,” he said.
Guyawa specifically referenced notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, questioning the feasibility of disarming him or bringing him to justice. “When it is the government that initiates dialogue, it shows the bandits are not under pressure. They are not desperate. We are dealing with hardened criminals like Bello Turji, who still roam with dozens of fighters and weapons. Tell me, who has the capacity or political will to seize weapons from Turji or bring him to justice?”
He highlighted the severe impact of banditry on farming in North-Western states, noting that levies imposed by bandits have forced many farmers to flee. “In Sokoto East alone, more than 55 villages have been evacuated because they cannot afford the taxes enforced on them by bandits,” he said.