The Katsina State Authorities has defined its choice to provoke the discharge of 70 individuals suspected to be concerned in banditry, saying the transfer was a part of efforts to maintain an ongoing peace cope with armed teams working within the state.
The Commissioner for Inner Safety and Dwelling Affairs, Nasir Muazu, stated the choice was taken to consolidate peace agreements reached between affected communities and repentant bandits throughout a number of native authorities areas of the state.
Muazu spoke in an interview following public reactions to a leaked authorities letter requesting judicial intervention to facilitate the discharge of the suspects.
In response to him, the peace deal, which includes a minimum of 15 native authorities areas, has led to the discharge of about 1,000 individuals kidnapped throughout bandit assaults.
He likened the discharge of the suspects to prisoner exchanges that often happen throughout wartime.
Recall {that a} letter dated January 2, 2026, and marked “SECRET,” surfaced on-line final week, indicating that the state authorities had initiated steps to safe the discharge of suspected bandits going through prison trials.
The letter, first reported by Vanguard, was issued by the Katsina State Ministry of Justice and addressed to the Chief Choose of the state.
Signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, the letter acknowledged {that a} record of 48 suspects accused of varied banditry-related offences had been forwarded to the ministry by the Ministry of Inner Safety and Dwelling Affairs.
In response to the doc, the proposed launch was meant to function a situation for the continuation of the peace accord reached between frontline native governments and the bandits.
It added that whereas a few of the suspects had been arraigned earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket, others have been nonetheless in detention awaiting trial at numerous Justice of the Peace courts throughout the state.
The letter additional disclosed that one other record of about 22 inmates going through trial earlier than completely different excessive courts in Katsina State had additionally been submitted for doable launch below the identical association.
The ministry urged the Chief Choose to take “needed motion,” citing the powers of the Administration of Felony Justice Monitoring Committee below Part 371(2) of the Administration of Felony Justice Regulation of Katsina State, 2021.
The transfer sparked widespread outrage, with many Nigerians expressing concern that the discharge of suspects accused of great crimes might undermine the rule of regulation and deny victims justice.
Responding to the backlash, Muazu stated the peace deal had already yielded tangible outcomes, noting that kidnapped individuals had been launched in a number of native authorities areas, together with Sabuwa, Safana, Kurfi, Faskari, Danmusa, Bakori and Dutsinma.
“Everywhere in the world, after wars, prisoner exchanges often happen. Throughout Nigeria’s civil warfare, prisoners have been exchanged, simply because it occurred in negotiations involving Boko Haram,” he stated.
Muazu added that the actions of the Ministry of Justice and the courts didn’t violate any present legal guidelines, stressing that anybody dissatisfied with the method was free to hunt redress via the courts.
