Katsina Lawmaker, LG Chairman Seen Negotiating With Terrorists As 37 Abducted Victims Regain Freedom

Gunmen have released 37 residents of Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State who were abducted days before a local “peace deal” was reached.

The victims were handed over on Friday in a tense exchange led by the Member representing Bakori Constituency at the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. AbdulRahman Ahmad Kandarawa, alongside the Chairman of Bakori LGA.

Images and eyewitness accounts show government officials in the company of armed men during the handover.

Some of the released victims were seen sitting on the ground, while several officials stood alongside the armed group.

The handover was facilitated by a peace intermediary, Isya Kwashen Garwa, who reportedly brokered the latest deal between local authorities and the gunmen operating around Bakori and neighbouring communities.

SaharaReporters gathered that the release followed days of behind-the-scenes talks aimed at preventing further attacks in the area, where residents have endured repeated raids, killings, and mass abductions.

Neither the state government nor security agencies has issued an official statement on the circumstances surrounding the negotiation, raising questions about transparency, accountability, and the broader implications of negotiating directly with terrorists groups.