A security analyst has cautioned that the Katsina State Government’s move to facilitate the release of 70 suspected bandits facing trial could pose serious long-term security risks, despite official assurances that the decision is part of ongoing peace efforts.
Retired army captain and security expert Abdullahi Bakoji described the plan as a high-risk strategy that may undermine justice and public confidence while offering only temporary relief from violence.
According to Bakoji, peace negotiations can be useful in conflict situations, particularly in securing the release of abducted persons, but freeing suspects accused of violent crimes without clear safeguards could weaken deterrence.
He warned that releasing suspects without transparent legal justification, accountability mechanisms, and post-release monitoring could encourage criminal behaviour and send the wrong message to armed groups.
“If people see that those accused of serious crimes are released without consequences, it signals that violence can be used as a bargaining tool rather than something that attracts punishment,” he said.
Bakoji stressed that sustainable peace initiatives must balance dialogue with justice, victim protection, and institutional credibility, warning that concessions to armed groups in fragile security environments must be clearly structured and anchored in law.
The warning follows public outrage triggered by a leaked letter from the Katsina State Ministry of Justice to the state’s Chief Judge, seeking judicial intervention to facilitate the release of 70 individuals standing trial for alleged banditry.
The letter reportedly requested the involvement of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC), citing Section 371(2) of the Katsina State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2021, which outlines the committee’s powers.
However, the Katsina State Government has defended the move, saying it is aimed at consolidating peace deals with armed groups described as “repentant bandits.”
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, said the peace arrangements had already led to the release of about 1,000 abducted persons across at least 15 local government areas of the state.
Muazu likened the proposed release of the suspects to prisoner exchanges during wartime, arguing that such measures are not unusual in conflict resolution, and insisted that no law had been violated, adding that dissatisfied parties could seek legal redress