As some communities are engaging the kidnap kingpin for negotiation, recently, Notorious bandit leaders have laid down their arms and released 16 hostages in exchange for amnesty in Katsina State.
The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement on its official social media handles, saying the development followed a surrender and disengagement initiative led by the leadership of Operation Fagge Fasan Yamma in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
The terse statement read: “Several notorious terrorist kingpins operating in Dan Musa Local Government Area, identified as Kamulu Buzaru, Manore, Nagwaggo, Lalbi, Alhaji Sani, Dogo Baidu, Dogo Nahalle, and Abdulkadir Black, voluntarily surrendered their arms and handed over kidnapped victims on 14 June 2025.
The Army further stated that the weapons surrendered by the terrorists have been secured in custody.
As part of the gesture, the group released 16 kidnapped persons, comprising seven women and nine children, and pledged to release the remaining captives in their custody by June 15, 2025.
The statement added that all released individuals had been handed over to their respective local government authorities.
It was reported that at least five guns, including two AK-47s, one G3, one pump-action rifle, one PKT gun, and two AK-47 magazines, were submitted during the peace truce on Saturday. A similar peace deal was held in the Dan Musa Local Government Area of the state.
It was also gathered that a seven-month pregnant woman was among the victims released during the agreement.
The source, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the development was part of the ongoing arms surrender and disengagement initiative by the leadership of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with critical stakeholders.
In a viral video, the ex-bandit leader, Adamu Alero, was seen speaking to the repentant bandits in Hausa, “All of you are my boys when it comes to this business, but I urge you to consider this an opportunity to denounce banditry because it is the only way to go.
“I want to also advise the public that we should shun negative words when mingling with them, as they surrender today, their families, especially children, will be reintegrated into society, and education will be offered to them.
“We should rather serve as a source of encouragement to them and let us forget all that happened in the past,” Alero said while addressing the crowd on Saturday.
