Islam doesn’t support Negotiating with bandits – Abdullahi Shinkafi

Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, Executive Director of Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, has cautioned against engaging in negotiations with armed bandits, describing such efforts as futile and un-Islamic.

Speaking on Arise Television on Wednesday, Shinkafi emphasized that armed bandits have threatened the entire North-West region for over a decade, and any peace agreements with them are bound to fail.

“Any peace deal entered into with armed bandits will collapse,” he stated. “These bandits are neither reliable, honest, nor sincere. Regardless of the peace or reconciliation agreements made, they eventually break down.”

Shinkafi referenced past attempts by the Zamfara State government and former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari to broker peace with bandits, noting that all such deals ultimately failed.

“In line with Islamic teachings and the Holy Quran, there is no basis for peace dialogues with armed bandits or terrorists,” he added, stressing that such negotiations are inconsistent with religious principles.