KATSINA — In a controversial move that has stirred debate, government officials in Katsina State are now reported to have personally negotiated with suspected terrorists — leading to the release of 37 villagers abducted earlier this month from Bakori Local Government Area.
The freed victims — 17 women, two children and 18 men — were handed over on Friday in a ceremony led by the Member representing Bakori Constituency in the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. AbdulRahman Ahmad Kandarawa, together with the Chairman of Bakori LGA. Eyewitness images and reports show the officials standing alongside armed men during the handover.
According to statements quoted by media, the release followed a so-called “peace deal” brokered locally, without payment of ransom — a detail that the lawmaker publicly confirmed. He told journalists that, to his knowledge, there are no longer any kidnapped victims from Bakori still held in the forest.
The group led the transfer of the abductees from their forest confinement to safety — describing the handover as a step toward peace and urging residents to uphold calm.
Yet the incident raises profound questions and concerns. Neither the state government nor national security agencies have issued any official explanation regarding the nature of the deal — or the identities of the armed men involved. Observers warn that negotiating directly with terrorists, then publicly partnering with them in hostage-releases, may erode public trust, normalize banditry, and encourage further kidnappings if perpetrators feel rewarded with legitimacy.
Critics argue that such deals circumvent the rule of law, undermine state authority, and risk incentivizing criminal groups whose violence typically targets rural and often defenseless communities. They insist that state security forces — not politicians — must lead any rescue operations to guarantee accountability and deterrence.
Dalena Reporters will continue to monitor reactions from security agencies, civil-society organisations and community leaders — particularly whether arrests follow, whether the freed captives receive support, and whether any transparent review of the negotiation process is undertaken.