By Divine Sam
A civic watchdog, the Citizens for Equity and Justice Initiative (CEJI), has strongly condemned the Governors of Zamfara and Katsina States for holding a controversial peace dialogue with Ado Aleru, a wanted bandit leader accused of numerous atrocities in Nigeria’s northwest.
The meeting, which took place last Saturday in Bichi, Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State, included traditional leaders, senior state officials, representatives of the Nigerian Army, and top government aides from both states. In video footage that has since gone viral, Aleru—who remains a fugitive with a ₦5 million bounty on his head—was seen speaking at the gathering, advocating for peace between Fulani herders and farming communities.
Aleru has been linked to mass killings, large-scale kidnappings, and the displacement of thousands, with numerous human rights organisations identifying him as a central figure in northwest Nigeria’s deepening insecurity crisis. His public appearance at a state-sanctioned forum has triggered widespread national outrage.
In a statement released Friday, CEJI President Dr. Abdulmumin Sarki described the meeting as “a betrayal of national trust and a gross insult to victims of bandit violence.” He accused Governors Dikko Radda of Katsina and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara of reneging on their earlier positions opposing any form of negotiation with terrorists.
“These are the same men who, during their campaigns, dismissed peace deals with blood-soaked warlords as failed and immoral,” Sarki noted. “Now, in power, they are legitimizing known criminals and allowing them to pose as stakeholders in public governance.”
CEJI referenced a 2023 Amnesty International report estimating that over 10,000 Nigerians have been killed in the past two years due to banditry and communal clashes in the region.
The group described the event as evidence of “a moral collapse of leadership,” warning that such actions erode public confidence and embolden violent actors. “You don’t make peace with unrepentant terrorists on a public stage while their victims remain unburied and justice unserved,” Sarki said.
Governor Lawal had previously ruled out any dialogue with bandits in 2023, labeling such negotiations a “failed strategy.” Likewise, Governor Radda had criticized earlier peace talks as rewarding impunity. CEJI argued that their current participation in talks with Aleru is a “dangerous contradiction” that undermines the rule of law.
“The Nigerian state cannot claim to fight insecurity while its top officials stand side by side with wanted criminals,” Sarki asserted.
CEJI has called on National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to urgently investigate how Aleru—who has been on the wanted list since 2020—was able to attend the event without fear of arrest.
“This level of impunity implies potential collusion by state actors, which is a serious breach of national security,” the group stated.
Additionally, CEJI urged the National Human Rights Commission and international watchdogs to probe the incident as a possible violation of Nigeria’s obligations under international law.
“Hosting a known perpetrator of mass atrocities in public negotiations, without accountability, sends a disturbing message and violates core international principles of justice and human rights,” the statement concluded.
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