Aliero claimed soldiers once lived in his home for six years peacefully and insisted his group would not disarm unless the terrorist label was dropped.
Ado Aliero, a wanted bandit leader in Nigeria with a ₦5 million bounty on his head, has called on the federal government to stop referring to his group as terrorists if peace is desired.
Aliero made this appeal during a peace meeting attended by security officials, traditional rulers, and community leaders in Danmusa, Katsina State.
“The government must stop referring to us as terrorists,” he said. “If we return to peace and pursue education, our children will have a better future.”
Aliero claimed soldiers once lived in his home for six years peacefully and insisted his group would not disarm unless the terrorist label was dropped. He criticized government claims about rehabilitating bandits.
“For the sake of Allah, I am pleading with the President… stop calling us terrorists or bandits,” he said. Aliero admitted many were driven to banditry by poverty and rejection, stating, “Our parents… have even chased us out of their homes.”