Katsina Govt Confirms SaharaReporters’ Report, Defends Move To Release 70 Suspected Bandits As Part Of ‘Peace Deal’
The Katsina State Government has explained that its decision to initiate the release of 70 individuals suspected of involvement in banditry is aimed at sustaining ongoing peace agreements with armed groups operating in the state.
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, said the measure was intended to consolidate accords reached between affected communities and repentant bandits across multiple local government areas, according to Vanguard.
Muazu spoke amid public reactions to an exclusive report by SaharaReporters about a leaked government letter seeking judicial intervention to facilitate the suspects’ release.
He noted that the broader peace deal, covering at least 15 local government areas, has already resulted in the release of about 1,000 people abducted during bandit attacks.
Describing the arrangement as akin to prisoner exchanges typically seen in wartime, Muazu emphasized that the initiative has produced tangible results.
Abducted individuals have reportedly been freed in areas including Sabuwa, Safana, Kurfi, Faskari, Danmusa, Bakori, and Dutsinma.
“All over the world, after wars, prisoner exchanges usually take place. During Nigeria’s civil war, prisoners were exchanged, just as it happened in negotiations involving Boko Haram,” the commissioner said.
Muazu emphasized that the actions of the Ministry of Justice and the courts were fully within the law, noting that anyone unhappy with the process could pursue legal redress.
On Friday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that a fresh controversy had broken out in Katsina State following the surfacing of an official document indicating that the state government initiated steps to secure the release of dozens of suspected bandits currently facing criminal trials.
The document, a letter dated January 2, 2026, and classified as “SECRET,” was issued by the Katsina State Ministry of Justice and addressed to the Chief Judge of the state.
It shows that the ministry requested the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate the release of the detained suspects.
Signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, Esq., the letter disclosed that a list containing the names of 48 individuals accused of various banditry-related offences had been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice by the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs.
According to the letter, the proposed release of the suspects is aimed at “facilitating their release from detention, as one of the conditions precedent for the continuance of the peace accord deal signed between the frontline local governments and the bandits.”
The Ministry of Justice further revealed that while a handful of the suspects had been arraigned before the Federal High Court, most remain in detention awaiting trial at various Magistrate Courts across Katsina State.
The letter also disclosed that a separate list of about 22 inmates currently facing trial before different High Courts in the state was submitted, with the aim of having them released under the same peace arrangement.
The Ministry urged the Chief Judge to take “necessary action,” arguing that the matter falls within the statutory powers of the Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee under Section 371(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Katsina State, 2021.
The disclosure has sparked outrage and concern among legal practitioners and civil society groups, who warn that releasing suspects accused of serious crimes such as banditry could undermine the rule of law, deny victims justice, and embolden criminal groups.
Critics contend that although peace initiatives are important, negotiating the release of suspects already in custody, some of whom are standing trial, raises serious constitutional, ethical, and security concerns.
