A suspected bandit kingpin has declared that members of his group lack formal education but are highly skilled in handling firearms, particularly AK-47 rifles, during a public address in Dutsenma Local Government Area of Katsina State.
In a video which has gone viral on social media and was obtained by First Daily correspondent on Monday, the armed leader was seen addressing a gathering while holding a rifle, surrounded by associates and a cheering crowd.
“We did not go to school and we are not educated, but even without schooling, we know how to operate an AK-47,” he said, drawing loud reactions from those present.
The video has raised fresh concerns about ongoing security challenges in northwestern Nigeria.
The kingpin contrasted his group’s priorities with those of educated individuals, stating, “While you gather books on your shelves, we have gathered AK-47 rifles,” as he lifted the weapon in the air.
During the address, the bandit leader also accused authorities of failing to honour agreements reached in previous dialogue efforts aimed at resolving insecurity in the region.
“If we make promises to you, we try to fulfil them. We expect you to do the same. This is one of our major concerns,” he said.
While speaking in Hausa and was translated to English, he further alleged that many members of his group are currently in detention across several locations, including Katsina, Kano, and the nation’s capital, Abuja.
“There is no state without our people in detention. Many of our men and women have been detained, but when we ask for their release, nothing happens,” he claimed.
The kingpin criticised what he described as a pattern of unfulfilled commitments by government representatives following negotiations.
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“Your leaders come to meet us and we agree on certain issues, but once they leave, they go back and sit comfortably in their air-conditioned offices without fulfilling those promises,” he said, prompting laughter and chants from the crowd.
He warned that failure to maintain consistent dialogue could lead to a breakdown in engagement, suggesting that fighters might withdraw from ongoing discussions.
“All the people you see here may disappear into the forest for months if we are not invited again for discussions,” he said.
Despite the criticism, the bandit leader expressed conditional willingness to continue dialogue, insisting that authorities must honour prior agreements.
“If you release our people, even if you call us to Katsina, we will come. We are not afraid to go anywhere, but we fear unfulfilled promises,” he added.