A notorious bandit leader who has been wanted by police for four years made a surprise appearance at a peace meeting in Katsina state over the weekend, sparking fierce debate about whether criminals should be negotiated with or arrested.
Ado Aleru, who has been on the police wanted list since 2020 with a ₦5 million bounty on his head, was filmed speaking to community members, government officials, security personnel, and traditional leaders during the meeting in Bichi community, Danmusa Local Government Area on Saturday.
According to reports from Zagazola Makama, a publication that covers security issues, Aleru used the gathering to call for peaceful relations between Fulani cattle herders and farming communities. The longstanding conflict between these groups has led to numerous deadly clashes across northern Nigeria.
The meeting was attended by Nigerian Army personnel, local government officials from Danmusa, and religious and traditional leaders. Aleru reportedly presented specific steps that herders, farmers, and government representatives should take to stop the violence in the region.
The peace meeting has faced harsh criticism from across Katsina state and on social media platforms. Many people are questioning why a wanted criminal was allowed to address officials instead of being arrested.
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Despite the backlash, Nasir Mua’zu, Katsina state’s commissioner for security and home affairs, has defended the government’s participation in the meeting. Speaking to BBC Hausa, he explained that Aleru and seven other terrorist leaders had voluntarily surrendered and given up their criminal activities. He said they had already released 17 hostages as a sign of good faith and promised to free the remaining captives.
“We spent two years fighting these criminals, and the governor has made it clear that he will not negotiate with them,” Mua’zu said. “But anyone who genuinely denounces banditry will be accepted and reintegrated into society.”
The commissioner also provided religious and legal justifications for the peace process: “Islamically, it is wrong for the government to continue fighting them since they accepted peace. And going by the Geneva Convention, it is also wrong to extend the fight after they came for dialogue.”
Northern Nigeria has been plagued by banditry for years, with criminal groups kidnapping people for ransom, stealing cattle, and attacking villages. The conflict often involves disputes between nomadic Fulani herders and settled farming communities over access to land and water resources. These disputes have been made worse by climate change, which has pushed herders further south in search of grazing land, leading to more clashes with farmers.
