MAKING PEACE WITH BANDITS?

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Photo Credit: Plateau Watch 



Dialogue is often hailed as the most effective path to conflict resolution. Yet, the idea of negotiating peace with bandits in a sovereign nation remains deeply controversial.  


Since the Boko Haram sect—formally known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna Li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad—emerged in northeastern Nigeria in 2003, the country has suffered the loss of thousands of lives to their violent campaigns, particularly in the northern regions. Despite repeated efforts by federal, state, and local governments to suppress the group, military offensives have yielded little success. In fact, the harder the military pushes, the more destruction these insurgents unleash. They raid military bases, seize vehicles and weapons, and turn those same resources against the nation.  


Beyond direct assaults, the bandits frequently bomb government facilities, kidnap citizens and foreigners, and extort massive ransoms—sometimes killing their victims even after payments are made. Unlike other pressure groups that articulate clear demands, Boko Haram thrives on indiscriminate violence, targeting communities and livestock across the Middle Belt, especially in Benue and Plateau States.  


Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Gumi has cautioned the government against provoking the bandits, urging instead for dialogue that might persuade them to lay down arms. His stance gained attention after a startling incident in Katsina State, where armed bandits openly held a press conference, flaunting sophisticated weapons slung across their shoulders. At the briefing, they warned the government to cease military offensives, threatening intensified hostilities if attacked further.  


What is most troubling is the sheer audacity with which these groups operate—brazenly projecting themselves as untouchable. This raises a pressing question: how is it that the Nigerian army, renowned for its successful international peacekeeping missions and its ability to subdue foreign terrorists, appears powerless against internal insurgencies that have plagued the nation for over a decade?

Comments

  1. Anonymous12 December 2025 at 13:52

    Infact, it beats my imagination.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12 December 2025 at 13:52

    What is the way forward?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous24 December 2025 at 15:11

    Making peace with bandits is our if. Let the government arrest them and deal with them. Period

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous24 December 2025 at 15:13

    Making peace with bandits is out of it. Let the government arrest them and deal with them

    ReplyDelete

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