Isiya Kwashen Garwa, a well-known bandit leader, has urged Nigerians to embrace peace and reconciliation while accusing the government of using oppression, injustice, and decades of poor management to fuel the growing cycle of banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence.
In front of the chairman of the Bakori Local Government Area, Garwa made the announcement on Friday while delivering 37 abducted victims—men, women, and children—to Hon. AbdulRahman Ahmad Kandarawa, a member of the Katsina State House of Assembly who represents the Bakori Constituency.
A video of the handover ceremony that SaharaReporters was able to obtain showed Garwa, surrounded by armed fighters and wearing a tactical jacket loaded with several weapon magazines, giving an angry speech that shocked people in the Northwest.
Speaking to the onlookers and high-ranking government officials present, Garwa said that the security problem was a revolt sparked by structural unfairness rather than just criminal ambition.
Once more, thanks to Allah’s kindness and assistance, around 37 people have been located today. Garwa stated in Hausa, “They were all on their way doing out their duties.
He went on to say that long-standing grievances, poor leadership, and mistrust of authorities at all levels—from the federal to the local—were the main causes of the Northwest’s current predicament.
Garwa used a metaphor to illustrate the interconnectedness of Hausa and Fulani villages damaged by years of recurrent warfare, warning that military force alone will never put out the Northwest fire.
“Contrary to what some people think, this situation is not based on lies or deceit, nor is it the way they imagine it,” Garwa said. People believe that everything is being dishonestly manipulated, yet that is untrue before God. What Allah permits us to see is what is taking place.
“Anyone who extends an invitation for you to sit with him or make amends may or may not be sincere since, similar to waking up healthy today and being ill tomorrow, things may appear to be going well now, but tomorrow you might see the opposite of what you had hoped for in your life. This is the way things are.
“There must be difficulties every day. There might be an issue now, but there might not be one tomorrow. However, we hope that the few errors that do happen don’t spread fear and don’t result in any major damage or disturbances.
We must all get together and give thanks to Allah for what we are seeing. This issue is neither your nor our strength, nor is it the result of security agencies’ shortcomings. It is a decree of Allah. He has focused our attention, yours, and everyone’s attention—involved and not—on understanding one another, being compassionate, and pursuing peace.
“This is preferable to fighting. People finally gather at the table to discuss, even in times of war, after ceaseless combat. Talk less about this issue, which is comparable to a dispute between a mother and her child or between a mother and her father.
Because we have the same ancestry, we are all one people. War is not the answer to this issue. Fighting won’t help you get what you desire. To help you understand, I’d like to give you an example:
Let’s say you have Suya beans and you request insecticide spray to eradicate any potentially dangerous organisms. The spray will destroy the Suya itself even if you manage to kill the insect. That is how this issue is. None of them will live if you attempt to “kill” the Fulani or the Hausa. Because they coexist and rely on one another, you cannot destroy them without destroying yourself.
Because of the near proximity of our people—some Fulani and some Hausa—oppression of one group will have repercussions for the other. That is the reality.
According to Garwa, the conflict’s origins are found in the same groups who are affected by it.
He went on, “Maybe you could fight one without hurting the other if Nigeria were like other countries, where the groups do not depend on each other.” However, you cannot chop one wing and expect the other to fly because we are bound together like a bird with a single body.
People need to realize this, especially those who advocate for punitive measures. Truth, justice, and fairness are the solutions to this problem; force is not. Every single one of us is a citizen; none of us are foreigners. These issues are the result of injustice and oppression.
“If you look at every local government impacted by these issues, you’ll realize that the residents of those areas are frequently the ones causing the problems. The same is true for states like Zamfara and Katsina, where many of the troublemakers are originating from. The root causes of this entire disaster were injustice, oppression, and poor management.
Leaders may or may not be aware of this. People cannot be properly guided by those who are ignorant. Acknowledging your ignorance is preferable to speaking ignorantly. You can tell the truth if you are aware of it. However, you can’t provide practical remedies if you don’t know where the problems began or where they went wrong.
The bandit commander claims that “these tragedies are caused by oppression and injustice.” Many locals are aware of the part they played in the issue inside their own community. While some leaders are aware of it, others are not, and others even helped. There are wicked people on all sides.
For the sake of Allah and the Prophet, it is preferable that we extend forgiveness, tolerate one another, and make amends for the wrongs we have committed against one another. Where will it end if we keep pursuing retribution? Both the person you hurt and the person who hurt you can already be dead. How long will the retaliation last?
Let us forgive each other for the sake of Allah and the Prophet. Let’s show compassion to the innocent victims of these problems, those who are neither responsible nor aware of them. Both among your people and ours, the majority of those slain or injured are innocent.
The bandit commander claimed that an atmosphere where murders, retaliation, and mistrust grew commonplace was created by both the peasants and those in positions of power.
He charged certain security personnel with conducting raids on innocent families and summary executions.
“Security agents go to homes, attack families, kill people, destroy homes, and kill ignorant animals,” he declared. Then, in an attempt to exact revenge, our people assault ignorant, innocent villages. Where are we going to end up?
The commander urged communication, forgiveness, and what he called a “reset of communal relations” on several occasions.
“For Allah’s sake, let everyone be afraid of the Day of Judgment,” he continued. Let’s try to find peace by covering each other’s flaws. Through the blessings of the Prophet and the Qur’an, we pray that Allah restores peace to our local governments, Bakori, Faskari, Katsina, and other impacted places. “Ameen.”
