The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned plans by Governor Dikko Radda’s administration to release 70 suspected bandits currently in custody.
The opposition party described the move as “dangerous, unjust, and a grave betrayal of victims of banditry across frontline local government areas of the state.”
Addressing journalists in Katsina on Tuesday, the party’s spokesperson, Lawal Tukur-Batagarawa, warned that freeing the suspects would “severely undermine public confidence in the government’s fight against insecurity.”
A leaked letter from the Ministry of Justice, dated Jan. 2, 2026, indicates that the state government has initiated legal processes to secure the release of the 70 detainees.
Signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, the letter requested the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate their release.
The state government defended the move as part of efforts to sustain an ongoing peace deal with armed groups.
Tukur-Batagarawa, however, argued that the release would “demoralise security personnel, dishonour officers who have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, and embolden criminal elements terrorising rural communities.” He added:
“As a party, we condemn in the strongest terms the planned release of 70 suspected bandits by the Katsina State Government. It is totally unacceptable and irresponsible for any government to free criminals while communities continue to bleed,” he said.