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28 November 2025
A notorious terrorist commander, Isiya Kwashen Garwa, has freed 37 abducted villagers from Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, claiming the mass-release signals his group’s desire for peace, while harshly criticizing government neglect, alleged injustice and mismanagement as the root of the region’s recurring violence.
Garwa handed over the freed captives — men, women and children — to local officials including Hon. AbdulRahman Ahmad Kandarawa, member of the Katsina State House of Assembly for Bakori Constituency, and the Chairman of the Bakori Local Government Area. The handover was conducted under heavy security, with armed fighters from the bandits group present.
In a widely circulated video obtained by media outlets, Garwa dressed in a tactical jacket and flanked by armed men, accused successive federal and state governments of overseeing decades of “oppression, injustice and mismanagement,” which he argued had transformed impoverished, marginalized communities into hotbeds of abduction and violence.
He urged Nigerians especially in affected communities — to reject violence, embrace reconciliation and resolve conflicts through dialogue rather than bloodshed. “This situation cannot be solved by war,” he declared, demanding fairness, accountability and a reset of trust between communities and the state.
According to local reports, the freed victims had been abducted in earlier raids and held in forests around Katsina and neighbouring zones. Their release, purportedly as part of a “peace deal,” did not involve payment of ransom — a point confirmed by the local lawmaker overseeing the handover.
The development has reignited heated debate over the wisdom, morality and long-term consequences of negotiating directly with bandit groups — a strategy increasingly used in parts of northwest Nigeria as communities and officials struggle to curtail abductions and retaliatory violence. Security agencies are yet to issue an official response to the release or to comment on whether there will be follow-up investigations into the bandits’ demands and structure.
Dalena Reporters will continue to monitor reactions from the Katsina State government, security services, and community stakeholders — especially whether this release will lead to sustainable peace, further negotiations, or renewed cycles of abduction and reprisal.