A notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Ummaru, has cautioned security operatives against relying solely on military force to curb insecurity in Katsina State, insisting that any attempt to eliminate fighters would only fuel the crisis.
Speaking during a peace meeting with community leaders in Matazu Local Government Area over the weekend, Ummaru declared: “If you kill 10 of us today, 20 more will emerge tomorrow. Kill 20, and 30 will rise both in the bushes and villages.”
His remarks, captured in a video shared by counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, came amid ongoing dialogue between rural communities and armed groups in the state.
Ummaru accused government authorities of neglecting ordinary citizens, while urging stakeholders to intervene whenever bandits are arrested or suspected of abductions.
He also criticised residents who share intelligence with security agencies, claiming that such actions jeopardised peace efforts.
“If these security operatives won’t be told to leave us alone, then I don’t think these peace talks have any importance,” he said, while adding: “Let us help one another and live in peace, and I pray what we have discussed will benefit us all.”
The meeting in Matazu coincided with wider reconciliation efforts in Katsina, where Sabuwa and Dandume Local Government Areas joined seven others in signing peace pacts with bandit groups.
During the negotiations in Kabalawa Dungun-Muazu, a border community in Sabuwa, armed groups agreed to halt killings and kidnappings, release abducted victims, and end cattle rustling.
In return, they demanded freedom for detained members and protection from vigilante reprisals in local markets.
Local authorities responded by pledging to reopen the Dandume cattle market, which had been closed due to insecurity, and assured the bandits of safety during community interactions.
With the latest accords, nine LGAs, including Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, Musawa, Danmusa, Jibia, Faskari, Sabuwa, and Dandume, are now officially engaged in peace deals with the armed groups.