Pardoning the Unrepentant: Armed Banditry and the Failure of the Carrot Approach in the Peacebuilding Effort in Nigeria’s Northwestern Region

Given the failed military operations in northwest Nigeria, sub-national governments negotiated amnesty deals with the bandits to end the crisis. However, the amnesty had the opposite effect of what was intended. Given this context, this paper argues that three factors undermined the deals. First, since bandits operate without central leadership, granting amnesty to some groups triggered the emergence of new groups for material gains. Second, the bandit-terrorist collaboration in northwest has implications for the failed deals. Finally, the transnational nature of banditry meant agreements were not respected. Therefore, the post-amnesty period has witnessed an escalation in banditry in the region.