A notorious bandit commander, Isiya Kwashen Garwa, has accused the Nigerian government of fuelling the rising cycle of banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence through oppression, injustice and decades of mismanagement, while urging Nigerians to embrace peace and reconciliation.
Garwa made the declaration on Friday while handing over 37 kidnapped victims, men, women, and children, to a lawmaker representing Bakori Constituency at the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. AbdulRahman Ahmad Kandarawa, in the presence of the Chairman of Bakori Local Government Area.
The handover ceremony, captured in a video obtained by SaharaReporters, showed Garwa dressed in a tactical jacket strapped with multiple rifle magazines, surrounded by armed fighters, delivering a fiery speech that stunned residents across the Northwest.
Addressing the observers and senior government actors at the scene, Garwa said the security crisis was not merely a product of criminal ambition but a rebellion born out of systemic injustice.
“Today again, by Allah’s help and His mercy, about thirty-seven people have been found. All of them were on their way fulfilling their responsibilities,” Garwa said in Hausa.
He added that the crisis ravaging the Northwest was rooted in long-ignored grievances, failed leadership, and distrust of authorities from the federal down to the local levels.
Garwa warned that military force alone would never quench the Northwest fire, using a metaphor to show the interdependence of Hausa and Fulani communities scarred by years of recurring violence.
Garwa stated, “Contrary to what some people think, this situation is not the way they imagine it, nor is it based on lies or deceit. People think everything is being manipulated dishonestly, but before God, that is not the case. What is happening is what Allah allows us to witness.
“Anyone who invites you to sit with him or to reconcile may be sincere or may not, because today things may look right, and tomorrow you may see the opposite of what you hoped for in your life, just like waking up healthy today and falling ill tomorrow. That is how this situation is.
“Every day, there must be challenges. Today there may be a problem; tomorrow there may be none. But we pray that the few mistakes that occur are not the kind that create panic, and that none of them cause serious harm or unrest.
“We must all gather and thank Allah because of what we are witnessing. This matter is not our strength, nor is it your strength, nor is it due to the failure of security agencies. It is Allah’s decree. He has turned our attention, your attention, and everyone’s attention, those involved and those not involved, to understand each other, to show compassion, and to seek peace.
“Doing this is better than conflict. Even in war, after constant fighting, people eventually sit at the table to negotiate. Talk less of this situation, which is like a conflict inside one home, between mother and child, or between mother and father.
“We are all one people; we come from the same roots. You cannot solve this problem by war. You will not achieve what you want through fighting. I want to give you an example so you understand:
“Imagine you have Suya beans, and you ask for insecticide spray to kill whatever harmful thing is on it. You may kill the insect, but the spray will also ruin the Suya itself. This problem is like that. If you try to “kill” one side, the Fulani or the Hausa, none of them will survive. You cannot destroy them without destroying yourself, because they live together and depend on each other.
“Our people live closely: some are Hausa, some are Fulani, if you oppress one group, the other will also feel the consequences. That is the truth.”
Garwa claimed that the roots of the conflict lie within the same communities suffering its consequences.
He further stated, “If Nigeria were like other countries, where the groups do not depend on each other, maybe you could fight one without harming the other. But here, we are tied together like a bird with one body, you cannot cut one wing and expect the other to fly.
“People, especially those suggesting harsh actions, must understand this. This issue cannot be solved by force but by truth, fairness, and justice. All of us are citizens; nobody came from another place or another country. It is oppression and injustice that created these problems.
“If you examine every local government affected by these challenges, you will see that the trouble often comes from the people of those same places. The same with states, Zamfara, Katsina, many causing trouble there are originally from there. This whole crisis grew from oppression, injustice, and mismanagement.
“Some leaders know this; some do not. Those who do not know cannot guide the people correctly. It is better to admit you do not know than to speak without knowledge. If you know, you can narrate the truth. But if you do not know where things went wrong or how they started, then you cannot offer real solutions.”
According to the bandit leader, “Oppression and injustice are what cause these calamities. Many villagers know what they themselves contributed to the problem among their own people. Some leaders know, some do not, and some even contributed to it. On every side, there are bad people.
“It is better, for Allah’s sake and for the Prophet’s sake, that we forgive each other, tolerate one another, and correct the harm we have done to each other. If we continue seeking revenge, where will it end? The one who harmed you may already be dead, and the one you harmed may also be dead. How long will revenge continue?
“For Allah’s sake and the Prophet’s sake, let us forgive one another. Let us have mercy on the innocent people suffering in these crises, people who neither caused it nor know anything about it. Most of those being killed or harmed are innocent, both among your people and ours.”
The bandit leader alleged that both villagers and those in authority contributed to an environment where killings, reprisals, and distrust became normalised.
He accused some security agents of carrying out extrajudicial killings and raids on innocent families.
He said, “Security agents go to houses, attack families, kill people, destroy homes and animals that know nothing. Then, when our people seek revenge, they also attack innocent villages that know nothing. Where will this lead us?”
The commander repeatedly called for dialogue, forgiveness, and what he described as a reset of communal relations.
He added, “For Allah’s sake, let everyone fear the Day of Judgment. Let us cover each other’s faults and seek peace. We pray that Allah brings peace back to our local governments, Bakori, Faskari, Katsina and all affected areas, by the blessings of the Prophet and the Qur’an. Ameen.”
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