Chairman of Funtua local government area (LGA), Hon. Abdu Goya, has reportedly met with armed Fulani groups in Katsina amid growing insecurity and threats of U.S. sanctions on Nigerian officials accused of complicity in religious persecution.
According to reports, the meeting, held in the forests around Funtua and Bakori towns, was framed as a “peace effort”; however, eyewitnesses say the gunmen arrived in motorcycles, fully armed, while community leaders pleaded for a ceasefire.
The development comes as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz moves to name and sanction Nigerian officials allegedly linked to the killing of Christians and other atrocities in the North.
According to reports, so far, in 2025, over 2,300 people have been killed and 4,000 kidnapped in the North-West region, with Katsina alone recording 330 deaths. Despite repeated military operations, bandits still hold vast territories hostage.
Critics say Goya’s meeting exposes the Government’s weakness and emboldens terrorists, while others call it a desperate local peace move.
