“CAN, MBF, CNG Reject Katsina Plan To Release 70 Bandits” — Northern Groups Warn Of Dangerous Precedent And Risk To Public Safety

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alongside the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) and the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), have strongly condemned the Katsina State Government’s reported plan to facilitate the release of approximately 70 suspected and convicted bandits as part of ongoing “peace deals.”

The controversy erupted after a classified letter dated January 2, 2026, from the Katsina State Ministry of Justice marked “SECRET” and addressed to the state’s Chief Judge was leaked and reported by SaharaReporters. The document requested intervention from the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to enable the release of the detainees, citing it as a precondition for continuing peace accords signed between frontline local governments and armed groups. The list included around 48 individuals awaiting trial in Magistrate Courts and about 22 facing proceedings in High Courts.

Northern CAN Secretary-General, Elder Sunday Oibe who also chairs the Northern Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) described the proposal as “the height of unseriousness” and a dangerous precedent that could embolden other criminal elements. Speaking to LEADERSHIP, Oibe urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reject the plan outright.

CAN emphasized that releasing individuals who have taken up arms against the state, killed innocents, caused widespread panic, and made life unbearable for communities undermines the government’s constitutional duty to protect lives. “If people who have decided to take arms against their fatherland… now a government… has decided to grant freedom or pardon to the bandits. It is unfortunate,” the group stated. They warned that such actions signal that violence pays, potentially leading to more groups emerging, and questioned accountability for lost lives, asking, “What is he going to do with the innocent lives that have been lost?… Will he bring them back?”

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), through spokesman Luka Binniyat, labeled the move “dangerous” and an “open validation of terrorism now cynically rebranded as ‘banditry.'” MBF insisted it mocks victims’ suffering—including widows, orphans, and displaced communities—and called on Nigerians of conscience to resist it. “Nigeria cannot negotiate away justice or reward terror with freedom,” Binniyat declared.

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), in a statement by National Coordinator Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, rejected the government’s comparison of the releases to wartime prisoner exchanges as “deeply flawed, misleading, and dangerous.” CNG argued that bandits are “criminal terrorists” who have murdered, raped, displaced families, and wrecked economies—not legitimate adversaries in a conventional war. While acknowledging the need to end violence, the group stressed that negotiations must follow from a position of state strength, not weakness or appeasement.

CNG highlighted contradictions: ongoing attacks despite the deals, subordination of judicial processes to executive bargaining, and the government’s silence on victims’ plight. “Peace that ignores justice does not heal; it deepens fear, resentment, and insecurity,” Charanchi said. The coalition urged the Katsina government to suspend the releases, respect judicial processes, and prioritize a security-first approach—including intensified federal-military coordination—before any dialogue. It advocated for transparent processes centered on disarmament, restitution, deradicalization, victim compensation, and long-term monitoring.

In defense, Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, explained that the initiative aims to consolidate community-led peace agreements with “repentant” groups across at least 15 local government areas. He noted that the accords have already secured the release of over 1,000 abducted persons, arguing the measure helps sustain stability in conflict-hit zones.

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