Dalena Reporters | November 16, 2025
Nigeria’s fragile attempts at negotiating peace with armed terrorist groups have suffered a major collapse as violent attacks intensified this week across Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto States, leaving residents in fear and exposing the deep failures of state-backed reconciliation initiatives. What began as community-driven dialogue and government-endorsed outreach to bandit commanders has now unraveled under the weight of renewed killings, mass kidnappings, and extortion, marking one of the region’s most unstable periods in months.
In Kaduna State, where local officials and community leaders previously held informal peace talks with armed groups operating around Birnin Gwari, Chikun and parts of Lere, fresh raids have shattered any illusion of stability. Multiple villages reported night-time invasions, targeted killings, and forced abductions, despite claims by local authorities that dialogue efforts were yielding progress. Residents say the attacks prove the so-called agreement was never honored by the criminal gangs, who used the respite to reorganize and procure more weapons.
The situation is no different in Zamfara State, where earlier conciliatory arrangements between local leaders and notorious bandit factions have now collapsed completely. The abduction of dozens of worshippers during prayers in Tsafe LGA, and the repeated raids on farming communities in Maru and Zurmi, have drawn renewed criticism of the state’s peace approach. Many in Zamfara argue that previous deals only emboldened criminal commanders by granting them legitimacy without demanding accountability or genuine disarmament.
Katsina State is facing a similar crisis. Weeks after officials in Kankia LGA engaged bandits in a controversial peace discussion—during which some armed men claimed the government “turned us into terrorists”—bandit groups have intensified attacks on rural communities, burning homes, ambushing travellers, and imposing illegal taxes on farmers. Security analysts warn that the Katsina deal failed because it provided no enforcement mechanism, no independent monitoring, and no consequences for violations, effectively giving armed groups a free pass.
In Sokoto, tension continues to mount in areas bordering Zamfara as bandit groups push deeper into vulnerable communities following the breakdown of security arrangements. Residents describe a pattern of coordinated raids that indicate the armed networks are working across state boundaries, exploiting weak policing and fragmented government responses.
Civil society groups and security experts have condemned the series of peace deals, insisting that agreements made without transparency, legal structure, or federal oversight are bound to fail. Former lawmaker Shehu Sani and human-rights advocates argue that negotiating with criminal groups responsible for mass killings, rape, and widespread displacement—while failing to arrest their leaders—has undermined the moral authority of the state and projected weakness.
The collapse of these deals has renewed calls for a unified national strategy to combat banditry, rather than piecemeal agreements brokered at the local level. Communities across the northwest say they feel abandoned, noting that billions budgeted for security in several states have not translated into improved protection or tactical deterrence on the ground. As attacks escalate, residents fear the region is slipping further into lawlessness, with bandit groups now asserting territorial control over farming settlements and major roadways.
With peace initiatives failing and military interventions inconsistent, analysts warn that the northwest may face an even larger humanitarian and security crisis if urgent reforms are not implemented. For now, thousands of families remain displaced, lives have been lost, and the much-publicized peace deals have collapsed—leaving communities to question whether the government’s dialogue strategy was ever a viable solution to the relentless terror engulfing the region.