Notorious Bandit Leader Meets Police, Military, Reveals Condition For Peace

A notorious bandit leader, Ado Aleru, has met with security operatives and traditional leaders in Katsina State, where he openly defended the actions of his armed group and issued a stern warning to the Nigerian government.

Speaking during a peace dialogue session held in Danmusa Local Government Area on Friday, Aleru, who remains on the wanted list of security agencies, declared that branding his group as “terrorists” would only deepen the violence already plaguing the North-West region.

“As long as we are still being called terrorists, then do not expect us to stop behaving like terrorists,” he said bluntly, in what observers have described as both a warning and a veiled threat.

Representing his faction during the dialogue, Aleru claimed that most of his followers were pushed into armed banditry due to years of neglect, injustice, and marginalisation.

He argued that their struggle was born out of survival rather than hatred or criminal intent.

“Our parents are not happy with what we are doing, and even we do not truly want this life in our hearts,” Aleru said.

“We would prefer a return to the way things were, where there was mutual respect between farmers and herders, and security personnel stuck to their duties without bias.”

He insisted that peace could only be achieved if authorities and the wider public stopped labelling them as terrorists, adding that such stigmatisation had hardened young men and led many to embrace a life of violence.

According to him, the solution lies not in military force but in honest engagement, mutual respect, and meaningful reintegration into society.

“The more we are stigmatised, the more we are made to feel like outcasts. That will not bring peace,” he added.