In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition said while it recognises the urgent need to halt the killings, kidnappings and widespread destruction plaguing Katsina State and the wider North-West, peace built on appeasement and judicial compromise is neither sustainable nor just.
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the Katsina State Government over its justification for facilitating the release of about 70 suspected and convicted bandits under the pretext of sustaining so-called “peace deals,” warning that the move gravely undermines justice, security and the authority of the state.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition said while it recognises the urgent need to halt the killings, kidnappings and widespread destruction plaguing Katsina State and the wider North-West, peace built on appeasement and judicial compromise is neither sustainable nor just.
The group faulted the state government’s attempt to liken the release of bandits to wartime prisoner exchanges, describing the comparison as deeply flawed, misleading and dangerous.
“The comparison drawn by the Katsina State Government between the release of bandits and wartime prisoner exchanges is deeply flawed, misleading, and dangerous. Nigeria is not engaged in a conventional war with a recognised adversary bound by rules of engagement,” the coalition said.
“Nigeria is not engaged in a conventional war with a recognised adversary bound by rules of engagement. Bandits are criminal terrorists who have murdered citizens, razed communities, raped women, displaced families, and destabilised rural economies.”
“Treating them as equal negotiating partners without first breaking their capacity to inflict violence undermines the authority of the state,” the statement said.
Charanchi stressed that while the CNG is not opposed to dialogue or reintegration in principle, negotiations with violent groups must only occur after the state has demonstrated overwhelming capacity to defeat them.
“CNG is not opposed to dialogue or reintegration in principle. However, history and basic security logic are clear that negotiations with violent groups must only take place after the state has demonstrated overwhelming capacity to defeat them,” the coalition said.
“Peace must be negotiated from a position of strength, not weakness,” Charanchi said, warning that what is currently unfolding in Katsina suggests the opposite.
According to the coalition, suspects facing trial are being released as preconditions for peace, judicial processes appear subordinated to executive bargaining, and communities continue to suffer renewed attacks even as concessions are made to armed groups.
“This approach sends a dangerous signal that violence pays, justice is negotiable, and the state lacks resolve. Equally troubling is the silence of the Government on the fate of victims and their families. Thousands of citizens have lost loved ones to bandit attacks,” the statement said.
The coalition also criticised what it described as the government’s silence on the plight of victims and their families, noting that thousands of citizens have lost loved ones to bandit attacks, while homes and farmlands have been destroyed and entire communities displaced.
“Homes were burnt, farms destroyed, and entire communities displaced. Many victims and witnesses risked their lives to cooperate with law enforcement and testify in court,” Charanchi said.
“Releasing suspects or convicts without transparent truth-telling, judicial closure, restitution, and meaningful compensation amounts to a betrayal of these victims and a grave injustice to society. Peace that ignores justice does not heal; it deepens fear, resentment, and insecurity.”
"Peace that ignores justice does not heal; it deepens fear, resentment, and insecurity," Charanchi added.
CNG further raised concerns over the timing of the planned release, noting that it coincides with a resurgence of attacks and killings in parts of Katsina State, including Malumfashi Local Government Area.
“This reality alone exposes the fragility and inconsistency of the peace deals being defended. If the agreements are effective, communities should not still be under siege. If bandits are truly repentant, violence should not persist. These contradictions demand honest answers," the coalition stated.
The group called on the Federal Government and relevant security agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other intelligence bodies, to urgently intensify and better coordinate efforts to combat banditry and terrorism across Northern Nigeria.
It urged the Katsina State Government to immediately suspend any plan to release suspected or convicted bandits under peace arrangements and to fully respect judicial processes, including ongoing trials and sentences.
The coalition also advocated a security-first strategy aimed at decisively degrading the operational capacity of bandits before any form of dialogue is considered.
He said: “Where engagement is eventually considered, it must be transparent, accountable, and anchored on disarmament, restitution, deradicalisation, and long-term monitoring, with victims placed at the centre of the process.
“Peace is not achieved by surrendering the rule of law. Security is not built by rewarding violence. Justice is not optional.
“Northern Nigeria deserves peace with dignity, security with justice, and leadership that governs with courage and moral clarity. Governments must negotiate from a position of strength, legitimacy, and accountability, not fear and expediency.”
Background
Last 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.
Meanwhile, the 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.
He noted that the broader peace deal, covering at least 15 local government areas, had already resulted in the release of about 1,000 people abducted during bandit attacks.