Public anger has trailed the decision of the Chairman of Sabuwa Local Government Area in Katsina State, Engr. Sagir Tanimu, to attend the wedding ceremony of children belonging to some notorious bandits operating in the region.
The ceremony, held in Kadawan Dandume village — a community recently reconciled with authorities after years of violent conflict — was reportedly part of the state government’s ongoing peace initiative aimed at rebuilding trust with armed groups.
Engr. Tanimu was said to have attended the event alongside the Prince of Kogo Emirate, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello Kogo, and the District Head of Sabuwa, among other traditional leaders.
The gathering was intended to strengthen confidence-building measures following a recent peace pact between local officials and Fulani residents deep inside the forest.
However, the move has sparked criticism from residents and civil society groups, who see it as an endorsement of criminality.
One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said attending such ceremonies without first securing the bandits’ disarmament “sends the wrong message that government officials are legitimising their activities.”
The incident comes as Katsina intensifies efforts to broker peace in other volatile parts of the state. Just days earlier, government envoys and traditional rulers met with bandit groups in Matazu and Faskari Local Government Areas, where armed men reportedly showed up with rifles slung across their shoulders.
While state officials argue that dialogue remains crucial to ending the violence, many locals remain doubtful, warning that reconciliation efforts without accountability or disarmament could embolden the gunmen to continue their attacks under the guise of peace talks.
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