By Fatima Mukhtar
A peace meeting organized in Katsina State has sparked outrage after several attendees confessed that they were not real bandits but hired locals paid to pose as them.
According to a report by Daily Post, the controversial peace dialogue was held in Batagarawa and Charanchi Local Government Areas of the state as part of ongoing efforts to foster peace between local communities and suspected bandit groups.
Eyewitnesses told the newspaper that some of the so-called “bandits” at the meeting admitted they were recruited and paid to attend the event to give the impression that genuine bandit leaders were part of the dialogue.
One of the attendees was quoted as saying, “We were hired to come here. Some of us are not bandits. They gave us guns and told us to attend.”
The revelation has triggered mixed reactions from residents and observers, with many describing the incident as a mockery of the peace process and a setback to genuine reconciliation efforts in the region.
Security analysts also questioned the credibility of the meeting, noting that most of the known bandit commanders were not present. “If the peace meeting is to be taken seriously, it must involve the real actors responsible for the attacks, not hired impostors,” one analyst stated.
As of the time of this report, the Katsina State Government has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
The development has raised further doubts about the sincerity and transparency of peace initiatives aimed at ending years of insecurity and banditry in parts of northern Nigeria.
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