A human rights lawyer has expressed concern over peace talks between communities in Katsina State, Nigeria, and armed bandit groups, stating that these meetings provide criminals with a platform to display their power and intimidate locals. Recently, two local government areas in Katsina, Jibia and Batsari, held meetings with bandits who openly carried dangerous weapons.

Videos and pictures from these gatherings show the gunmen were heavily armed during the peace talks, a scene that lawyer Bulama Bukarti describes as intimidation. According to Bukarti, the bandits’ actions are a deliberate attempt to frighten people and create fear, which is a key aspect of terrorism. He compares their displays of weaponry to military parades, suggesting that they aim to scare the public and demonstrate their power to the Nigerian government.

Bukarti emphasizes that both the possession of such weapons and the peace meetings themselves are illegal under Nigerian law. He stresses that no one is allowed to own or display such weapons, and that there is no legal framework for these dialogues with terrorists.

Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has cautioned against disrupting these meetings, suggesting that it could lead to further problems. However, Bukarti disagrees, arguing that the meetings represent a surrender to criminals. He believes that allowing terrorists to display their weapons weakens the state’s image in the eyes of its citizens.

Bukarti urges the government to take a more active role in addressing the situation, suggesting that it should lead the talks, set clear conditions, and ensure the disarmament and rehabilitation of the criminals. By leaving citizens to negotiate on their own, the government may inadvertently strengthen the bandits’ position. The situation highlights the need for a more effective approach to addressing the security challenges posed by armed groups in Nigeria.