Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

…cautions against misrepresentation of position on dialogue with bandits…

By: Zagazola Makama

Prof. Abubakar Usman Ribah, a peace advocate and member of the Peace Committee, has cautioned social media users against misrepresenting his views on dialogue with bandits as a strategy for sustaining peace in the troubled North West Zone.

Ribah, in a video made available to newsmen on Wednesday, said his comments on dialogue had been twisted and circulated on Facebook, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), in ways that fuel misunderstanding and hostility.

He urged users to “fear God and stop changing the narrative to suit their own views,” stressing that selective quoting of his remarks was misleading and unfair.

“Social media users should fear God and stop changing the narrative that goes contrary to our own views. You are quoting a segment that suits your narratives, leaving out the rest, and continue to circulate it. That is misrepresentation,” Ribah said.

He explained that his position on dialogue was not in support of paying levies or ransoms to bandits but in favour of a government-led engagement that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

“We believe that fighting with guns only prolongs crises. For 10 years, it has not yielded results, and that is why we wanted to end it through dialogue.

“And the dialogue we are seeking is not the one where villagers go on their own to negotiate with bandits, pay levies in order to farm, or pay ransom to release family members. That type of dialogue is not sustainable. It is betrayal.

“The dialogue we support is the one led by government, where authorities can solve the pressing issues between farmers and herders, and address the needs and demands of all conflicting parties,” he said.

Ribah clarified that his advocacy for dialogue predated the current administration and had been consistent for more than seven years.

“This did not start with this government. I have been engaging in dialogue for over seven years. You can go through my pages. War cannot end war, but dialogue will, if both conflicting parties agree. This is what we are talking about,” he said.

The peace advocate dismissed allegations that he and other members of the Peace Committee were shielding or supporting bandits.

“Some are accusing us of supporting bandits, some are accusing us of giving them protection. But how can we protect bandits that are killing people? No way. What we want is to stop the bloodshed, where everyone will be allowed to go about his normal life,” he stressed.

Ribah further accused some social media commentators of being “conflict entrepreneurs,” whom he said benefitted from circulating negative reports of attacks.

“Some people benefit from telling negative stories of attacks. They are conflict entrepreneurs. We want them to focus on telling positive stories instead of dwelling on negativity,” he added.

The North West Zone, particularly Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, has for years been plagued by banditry, mass killings, abductions, and forced displacement, with government and stakeholders divided over the most effective approach to peacebuilding.

Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits