Kingpins Parade Thousands of Fighters at So-called Peace Meeting
By Luka Binniyat
(Katsina) — Barely days after Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria vowed not to grant amnesty to bandits, two of Nigeria’s most-wanted terrorists staged a dramatic show of force on Monday Sept. 15, parading thousands of armed followers in Hayin Gada town, Faskari county of Katsina state.
In a scene that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, Isiya Kwashen Garwa and Ado Alero—both listed among 19 bandit kingpins declared wanted by the Nigerian military, told a crowd of thousands in Hayin Gada, a rural town in Faskari county that they were telling government how it is – not the other way around.
“We are not against peace, but the government must show us sincerity,” gang leader Garwa said in a viral video, Monday. “Too many times promises were made and broken,” he said, wearing a vest filled with several ammunition clips.
The two gangsters, ranked number 9 and 14 respectively on the military’s most wanted list, regaled their foot soldiers armed with assault rifles and propped against hundreds of motor bikes.
Virtually all the bandits are of the Fulani ethnic group, one of Nigeria’s largest and most politically influential tribes. The 10-million strong Fulani ethnicity is known for dominating the cattle-herding industry over northern Nigeria, including the Christian Belt (also known as the Middle Belt). At the same time, educated and wealthy Fulani elites have won the highest offices. They include Nigerian presidents, governors, lawmakers and distinguished academics.
Bandits Claim Victim Status
Alero, whose group has long been linked to deadly raids in Katsina and Zamfara, echoed his counterpart’s grievances:
“Our people have suffered injustice and killings. If the government wants us to drop our arms, let it first stop hunting us like animals and treat us as human beings.”
The rally, described by eyewitnesses as a “show of force,” has fueled intense debate nationwide, especially as representatives of both community leaders and Katsina State government officials were present.
Elders and Officials Appeal for Calm
A local elder, Abu Galadima, visibly shaken, pleaded for restraint in a video during the meeting.
“Our villages are bleeding. We cannot endure more violence. We ask both sides to be patient and give peace a chance.”
Defending the government’s participation in the gathering, one mediator explained:
“Military action alone has not stopped the killings. Dialogue offers us a path to reduce bloodshed, even if it is imperfect.”
The military has yet to make any official comment on the development, even though the two bandit leaders remain fugitives with open bounties.
Governor’s No-Amnesty’ Pledge Faces Test
The gathering comes as a shocking test of resolve for Governor Radda, who only last week reiterated his uncompromising stance against granting amnesty to terrorists.
“The state government is planning to provide 152 IDP homes in Jibia for displaced families, plus business support packages, cattle and industrial tools for repentant individuals as a means of preventing violence relapse,” Radda said on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in a statement signed by Dr. Bala Zango, Commissioner for Information and Culture, and Maiwada Dammallam, Director-General of Media.
He insisted that security remains the top priority of his administration, alongside education, agriculture, health, and revenue generation, while urging citizens to share intelligence that could expose criminal hideouts.
Radda’s hardline position dates to August 2023, when he declared at a state prayer session:
“The administration has no plans to grant amnesty to terrorists. We need the cooperation of each and every member of the public to ensure that information is provided to us so that we can fish out the terrorists and criminals terrorizing the residents.”
Analysts Shocked: ‘Rule of Law Undermined’
The sight of wanted warlords freely addressing crowds and brandishing power in the open has unsettled analysts and residents alike. Critics warn that allowing such men a platform undermines the rule of law and emboldens criminal groups.
“This is not just a contradiction to the governor’s stance but a dangerous precedent,” according to a political analyst in Katsina who insisted on anonymity.
“If wanted criminals can gather openly with thousands of fighters, it questions the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security strategy,” added the expert who lectures at a private university in the city of Katsina.
Still, some argue that dialogue may succeed where years of military campaigns have failed. Lawal Sani, a Katsina-based peace advocate who attended the meeting with the professional killers, told TruthNigeria that “Communities are exhausted. Dialogue, however flawed, may be the only option left to halt the cycle of bloodshed.”
“There is no shame in admitting that it is almost an impossible task to defeat and capture these Fulani fighters,” Sani said.
Long Shadows of Impunity
Garwa and Alero’s names are featured in the Nigerian military’s 2022 roll call of 19 most-wanted terrorists, with a total bounty of N95 million placed on them and other kingpins.
The military had vowed that justice would be served on the fugitives, yet Monday’s show of force has caused some to think otherwise. With the army yet to react, the silence has raised questions about the will—or ability—of the state to confront the challenge, according to TruthNigeria interviews with thought leaders.
Uncertain Road Ahead
Whether the dramatic display in Faskari marks the beginning of genuine peace negotiations or simply a show of strength by emboldened criminals, remains unclear. What is certain, however, is that Katsina finds itself at a crossroads—between the governor’s vow of no pardon and the reality of powerful armed groups demanding a seat at the table.
For many in Katsina’s rural communities, battered by years of kidnappings, killings, and displacement, the overriding concern is survival. As one displaced farmer from Faskari put it after the gathering:
“We don’t care about politics. We just want to go back to our farms without fear of being killed.”
Between May 2023 and May 2025, Amnesty International reports that 889 people were killed in Katsina State by bandits, and 3006 people were abducted, many of them women and girls.
More recently (August 2025), in Malumfashi LGA at Unguwan Mantau community, a mosque attack on Hausa Muslim worshipers took the lives of : 52 peopleduring prayers. TruthNigeria learned from a source that the Fulani killing of the 52 Muslims, all the Hausa ethnic tribe, was in retaliation for the murder of 5 Fulani Muslims in a mosque in Karshen village in Faskari county two weeks earlier by Hausa volunteer guards.
Local sources tell TruthNigeria that some Fulani tribesmen and Hausa tribesmen in Nigeria’s northern states are in a blood feud despite their common ties to Islam.
There are also religious fault lines tied to ethnicity, according to the same sources. Reports confirm that armed extremist groups, including bandits and some with ties to Boko Haram, have targeted moderate Muslim worshippers and communities in Nigeria’s Katsina State, according to the BBC.
Luka Binniyat is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
