With the sustained aerial bombardments on their locations and hideouts by men of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), notorious bandit kingpins in North-Western States of Nigeria have begged for dialogue and amnesty from the government.
According to a news distribution platform, PRNigeria, intelligence sources said the bandit kingpins in Katsina and Zamfara States sent delegations to a meeting held at Gusami village in Birnin Magaji local government area of Zamfara State.
The meeting had in attendance some of the kingpins and their representatives including Usman Ruga Kachallah, Alaji Shingi, Lauwali Dumbulu, Shehu Bagiwaye, Sehu Karmuwal and Jarmi Danda.
The source said: "They met towards uniting their forces and opting for peace with the government after suffering major casualties from military attacks. They promised to surrender their weapons for a peace deal.
"They also expressed their regret that while they are ready to embrace peace with the new administrations in their respective states, their morale has been dampened by the continuous attacks from the Nigerian Airforce that targeted their homes, families, animals and storages."
In their latest meeting, PRNigeria gathered that the bandit leaders agreed to key into peace initiatives by surrendering parts of their weapons to the government forces while they bury some pending when all the kingpins in other locations would also do so.
According to a source, the bandit leaders insisted that they had to keep some of their weapons for fear that other bandit leaders in parts of Zamfara and Sokoto States including border areas with Niger Republic might come and attack them afterwards.
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They also requested that officials of recognised and registered Fulani groups, like Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) can be involved in brokering the peace process and the Amnesty Programme.
LEADERSHIP recently reported that airstrikes by Nigerian Military eliminated scores of footsoldiers of the notorious bandit kingpin, Dankarami.
Another separate military air interdiction also targetted the enclave of Ado Aliero, also a terrorist kingpin in Zamfara, near Asola Mountain in Tsafe local government of the State, killing over a dozen armed bandits.
Bombardments by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji have recently been heightened in the North-West, as part of effort to rid the region of terrorists and their activities.
Some of the recent airstrikes were conducted in various locations in Zurmi, Tsafe, Faskari and Jibia local government areas (LGAs) in Zamfara and Katsina States, respectively.
