Kaduna villages make deals with bandits to avoid attacks
Residents in several communities in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State say more villages are negotiating with bandits as a survival tactic. Some locals allege that these agreements complicate security efforts and deepen divisions among residents. Villages that reach such deals reportedly serve as safe corridors for bandits, while those refusing to negotiate face repeated raids and mass displacement. Security experts warn that these informal arrangements could further undermine military operations in the region.
What we know
- Some communities in Kachia Local Government Area have entered informal agreements with bandits to avoid attacks, while others have refused, leading to insecurity and displacement.
- Villages that negotiate with bandits are said to act as shields and informants, hiding bandits and alerting them during security operations.
- Communities that refuse to negotiate have suffered repeated raids, killings, abductions, and large-scale displacement, with some villages losing up to 87 per cent of their population.
- Locals allege that those who cooperate with bandits share resources, organize events, and even marry off women to bandits, while also experiencing sexual violence.
- Efforts to get a response from the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
