By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Peace Talks Show Nigerians Bowing to Bandits: Bukarti Warns
Human rights lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, has cautioned that the so-called peace dialogues between communities in Katsina State and armed bandits are a dangerous sign of weakness, arguing that such meetings allow criminals to parade their strength while ordinary Nigerians are left unprotected.
The warning follows recent gatherings in Jibia and Batsari Local Government Areas, where bandits turned up heavily armed to hold talks with residents.
Videos and photos from the meetings showed the gunmen openly carrying assault rifles and other dangerous weapons, speaking boldly and posing for recordings. Bukarti said these scenes were not gestures of reconciliation but calculated acts of intimidation.
“These peace talks are not peace at all; they are surrender,” Bukarti told Daily Post. “When bandits come out with weapons strapped to their bodies, giving speeches, and allowing themselves to be filmed, they are simply terrorising the public. Terrorism is about creating fear to achieve political, ethnic, or religious goals, and that is exactly what they are doing.”
He noted that both the possession of such arms and the meetings themselves are against the law, stressing that Nigerian legislation does not permit citizens to own or display such weapons.
He added that there is no legal basis for dialogue with terrorists, making the entire process unlawful.
The activist also pushed back against Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who had urged security agencies not to interfere with the dialogues, warning that disruptions could worsen the situation. Bukarti, however, argued that allowing the meetings to continue only weakens the state further.
“Each time terrorists are allowed to flaunt their weapons before the public, the government appears powerless, and citizens lose confidence in the system meant to protect them,” he said.
Calling on authorities to take full control, Bukarti insisted that if peace talks are ever considered, they must be led by the government with strict conditions that require disarmament and rehabilitation.
Leaving communities to negotiate on their own, he warned, only empowers the criminals. “What we are witnessing is not the path to peace,” he concluded. “It is Nigerians bowing to bandits, and it will only embolden them further.”
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