Contested Forgiveness: Unsolicited Amnesty and the Reintegration of ‘Repentant’ Bandits in Northwest Nigeria

Banditry poses a serious threat to lives and livelihoods in parts of Nigeria’s Northwest Northcentral regions. This has resulted the deaths thousands displacement several others. Both federal government affected subnational state governments have responded this by deploying different measures aimed at bringing an end it. One such adopted some involved granting amnesty so called ‘repentant’ bandits. approach failed. While works articulate origins, nature, character, trends banditry, essay focuses on controversial issue for bandits region. It interrogates rationale behind decision grant why Three fundamental things are required yield desired results within fragile conflict settings, yet they remain absent case Nigeria. These include need individual risk assessment bandits; buy-in local communities throughout entire process; third, incorporate voices victims, including women girls. The consequences attempting reintegrate Nigeria, absence these, guarantee repeated failure initiatives.