Katsina government defends move to release 70 bandits

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 - The Katsina State government has explained the rationale behind its move to facilitate the release of 70 suspected bandits currently undergoing criminal trials over their alleged involvement in banditry-related activities.

Channels TV reports that according to the state government, the move is aimed at consolidating and broadening the existing peace deal between communities affected by insecurity in 15 local government areas of the state and repentant bandits.

It maintained that such tactics are adopted in war situations globally. The government further disclosed that the deal had led to the release of at least 1,000 persons held captive by the suspected bandits in different attacks.

On January 2, 2026, an official letter came to the open detailing the state government’s plan to secure the release of the suspected bandits currently facing criminal trials for their involvement in banditry related activities.

The letter, classified as “SECRET,” was issued by the Ministry of Justice and addressed to the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Musa Abubakar.

In the letter, the state government, through the Ministry of Justice, sought the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate the release of the detained suspected terrorists.

The letter, which was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, revealed that a list containing the names of 48 individuals accused of various banditry-related offences had been forwarded to the justice ministry by the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs.

According to the letter, the planned release of the suspected terrorists was to facilitate “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 government also said that while some of the suspects were already standing trial before the Federal High Court, some others remained in detention awaiting trial at various magistrates’ courts across the state.

Umar added that a separate list of about 22 inmates currently facing trial before different high courts across the state was submitted, seeking their release under the same peace arrangement, urging the state Chief Judge to take “necessary action” to that effect.

The government says the request falls within the statutory powers of the Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee under Section 371(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Katsina State, 2021.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasiru Danmusa, has said that no law was violated by the government, advising any person who feels displeased with the decision to seek legal redress.