A notorious 70-year-old bandit leader, Sani Geza, has expressed his excitement after reaching a “peace agreement” with community leaders in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Geza, regarded as one of the oldest commanders terrorising the region, described the truce as a long-awaited lifeline for him and his fighters to abandon bloodshed and return to normal life.
“This is what we have been seeking for a very long time. Today, God has made the dream come true. Our hope is that this peace will be sustained and not wasted,” Geza said.
According to security sources, many of Geza’s men had become exhausted by years of killings, kidnappings, and reprisal attacks, quietly waiting for an opportunity to reconcile with their communities.
Officials revealed that the latest peace talks form part of a series of ongoing dialogue and reconciliation efforts, aimed at calming tension in rural Katsina, where banditry and kidnapping have devastated lives for years.
Despite sustained military offensives, thousands remain displaced and hundreds have been killed in the state, which shares borders with Zamfara forests and the Niger Republic— both hotbeds of armed violence.
Saturday’s dialogue session in Matazu brought together government officials, traditional leaders, and armed group representatives, echoing a similar parley held last week in Faskari LGA, where several notorious bandit commanders openly joined the talks.
However, doubts remain as previous peace pacts between bandits and authorities in the North-West have collapsed in fresh waves of killings and abductions, leaving residents wary about the sincerity of armed groups and the dangers of negotiating under such tense conditions.
