Sokoto’s Gamble: Dialogue with Bandits or Dangerous Precedent?

In a move stirring both hope and controversy, the Sokoto State Government has announced its readiness to negotiate with armed bandits—but only those who are genuinely willing to surrender and reintegrate peacefully into society2.

The announcement, made by Col. Ahmed Usman (rtd), Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, frames the decision as a strategic shift toward peacebuilding, emphasizing that “many historical conflicts have not ended solely through the use of force, but through meaningful dialogue”3.

🔍 What’s the Plan?

The government’s approach includes:

Welcoming repentant bandits who lay down arms
Supporting community-based peace efforts
Backing the deployment of forest guards, under strict supervision, to rebuild trust and security4

The administration insists this is not a blanket amnesty, but a targeted reconciliation effort aimed at ending years of bloodshed.

⚠️ Critics Sound the Alarm

Not everyone is convinced.

Security expert Basharu Altine Guyawa warns that negotiating with terrorists sends the wrong message—that violence pays.

> “These are not aggrieved citizens. They are armed terrorists,” he said. > “What has negotiation achieved in Zamfara or Katsina? These groups keep regrouping because there’s no firm stance.”

He fears that dialogue without justice or disarmament could undermine public trust and embolden criminal networks.