A peace dialogue organized for communities in Batagarawa and Charanchi Local Government Areas of Katsina State has stirred controversy after reports emerged that several of the supposed bandits in attendance were actually hired locals.
According to reports by Katsina Times and an eyewitness account shared by security analyst @DanKatsina50 on X (formerly Twitter), many of the armed men present at the meeting allegedly confessed they were not bandits but were recruited to create the impression of a large turnout.
“We were hired to come here. Some of us are not bandits. They gave us guns and told us to attend,” some of the attendees were quoted as saying.
The meeting, which was convened by officials of Batagarawa and Charanchi local governments, was attended by the Executive Chairman of Batagarawa LGA, traditional rulers, and representatives of various communities.
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Reacting to the development, the analyst questioned the credibility of the peace process, noting that most of the so-called “bandits” appeared unfamiliar and unconnected to known terror groups in the area.
“Where were the real bandit commanders apart from Sani Muhudinge? Why were only unfamiliar young men present?” he asked.
He further urged the Katsina State Government, under Governor Dikko Umar Radda, to restrict local government chairmen from organizing such dialogues without proper coordination or oversight, warning that such moves could undermine genuine peace efforts.
The Katsina State Government has yet to issue an official statement on the controversy as of the time of filing this report.