Some bandit peace pacts had official backing, says Kabir Adamu

By Lawrence Agbo

Security analyst and CEO of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, Dr. Kabir Adamu, has alleged that some peace pacts between communities and bandit groups in northwestern Nigeria were undertaken with the knowledge and support of government authorities.

Speaking on ARISE NEWS, Adamu claimed that both federal and state government actors have, at different times, encouraged communities affected by insecurity to engage in negotiations with non-state armed groups.

“I would also add that at least we know part of the federal government, and to an extent, some state governments, are encouraging communities to negotiate with these non-state armed groups,” he alleged.

The security expert pointed to the Sulhu peace pacts in Katsina State as an example of negotiations with bandit that he believes received some form of official sanction.

“In neighboring Katsina, there is enough evidence to show that the Sulhu, which is the negotiation sort of pact between the communities and the non-state armed groups, had some element of state sanction,” he said.

Adamu added that there was evidence suggesting similar levels of government awareness in Kaduna and possibly Zamfara states.

“The point I’m trying to make is that there is evidence in both Katsina, Kaduna, and most likely Zamfara State, that this type of peace pact has some knowledge, as it were, of the government,” he stated.

He also challenged claims that security agencies are unaware of the whereabouts of bandit groups, arguing that available intelligence suggests authorities know where many of the groups operate.

“Let’s not build a premise on a sort of wrong assumption. And that is the fact that the state does not know where the bandits are. I think there is enough evidence to show that the state knows where the bandits are,” Adamu said.

According to him, the challenge lies less in locating the criminals and more in addressing the complexity of a security crisis that combines criminal, social and economic dimensions.

He noted that despite military successes against several bandit leaders and hideouts, the broader challenge of restoring security in affected communities remains difficult due to the evolving nature of the threat.

Adamu’s comments come amid ongoing debates over the effectiveness of military operations and the role of negotiations in addressing insecurity across northern Nigeria.