Audu Lankai, a notorious bandit leader operating in the borderlands of Katsina State, narrated how a fragile local truce unraveled during a recent violent altercation with regional vigilantes in the Jibia Local Government Area.
The clash resulted in significant casualties on both sides, exposing the extreme volatility of using localized peace pacts to curb mass violence.
The rare testimony was broadcasted on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in a video report shared by News Central TV.
Under that agreement, both sides had reportedly committed to a cessation of hostilities.
However, Lankai claimed that local vigilantes often referred to locally as Yan Voluntiri violated the understanding by launching a surprise assault on his fighters, resulting in the immediate deaths of several of his prominent boys.
Despite the bloody breakdown of the accord, the bandit leader signaled an unexpected willingness to return to the negotiating table. However, his offer of a ceasefire came with rigid, highly controversial prerequisites.
Lankai declared that he is fully prepared to honor and revive the terms of the peace deal, provided that the Jibia community immediately surrenders and returns the firearms confiscated during the battle, alongside the corpses of his slain operatives.
In the video broadcast, Audu Lankai maintained an unapologetic stance regarding the retaliatory violence his gang meted out against the community following the initial ambush:
"I am fully aware that my boys killed fifteen persons; if you were in the same position, you would have behaved the same way. If they return my arms and corpses of my boys, I am forever ready to continue with the peace."
Lankai’s casual admission to the slaughter of 15 villagers highlights the immense peril facing rural communities in Katsina State, where the authority of the state is thin, and residents are frequently trapped between ruthless criminal syndicates and aggressive local vigilante groups.
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