The governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, has said authorities in Nigeria’s north-west will not negotiate with armed groups, insisting that only unconditional surrender will be accepted from bandits operating across the region.
Aliyu made the remarks on Saturday in Katsina State during the inauguration of an 8.1km road linking Yandaki, Shinkafi and Kofar Sauri, a project valued at ₦12.6bn and delivered under the administration of Dikko Radda.
“We will not negotiate with any criminal, nor will we accept any offer from them unless they surrender unconditionally,” Aliyu said, in a blunt restatement of what he described as a shared position among governors in the region.
The north-west has been at the centre of Nigeria’s protracted security crisis, with bandit groups responsible for kidnappings, killings and large-scale displacement. While some local and federal initiatives have previously explored dialogue, Aliyu signalled a shift towards a harder line.
He said governors across the zone were aligned in their determination to end the violence and were committing increased resources to security operations. State governments, he added, were working closely with federal security agencies to refine strategies aimed at restoring stability.
Aliyu also called on residents to play a more active role in confronting insecurity, urging communities to identify and expose informants who aid criminal networks. “We must remain vigilant and monitor suspicious movements,” he said, warning that many successful attacks involved some level of local collaboration.
Alongside security measures, the governor appealed for public support and prayers, framing the fight against banditry as both a civic and moral responsibility.
He praised Radda for establishing the Katsina State Community Guard, a locally driven security outfit designed to complement conventional forces. Aliyu said the initiative had influenced similar steps in Sokoto, where his administration has since created its own community guard corps.
Describing the model as impactful, he said it offered a practical pathway for strengthening grassroots security architecture, even as broader efforts to contain violence across the north-west continue.
