The Kaduna State Government has unveiled a new peace initiative offering education, healthcare, and livelihood support to bandits, instead of cash, as part of efforts to end years of killings and kidnappings across the state.
Commissioner for Information Ahmed Maiyaki disclosed this on Wednesday at a workshop on Peace Journalism organised by the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in partnership with the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and the Ministry of Information.
Maiyaki said the initiative, known as the Kaduna Peace Model, marks a shift from confrontation to conversation, focusing on dialogue and development rather than force or financial incentives.
“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” he said.
Addressing Root Causes of Insecurity
He explained that after years of violence, the government began addressing the social and economic roots of insecurity.
The turning point came when armed group leaders appealed for the reopening of markets, schools, and health centres shut by insecurity.
“We didn’t give them a dime only life back to communities long abandoned,” he added.
Between 2015 and 2023, Kaduna recorded over 4,800 deaths and thousands of kidnappings. In 2021 alone, 1,192 were killed and 3,348 abducted, leading to the closure of 142 schools and 192 health centres.
Supported by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the new strategy emphasises intelligence sharing, dialogue, and inclusion. Through the ONSA Kaduna Peace Committee, more than 500 hostages have reportedly been freed without ransom or the use of force.
Former bandit leaders such as Jan Bros and Yellow One Million have since become peace mediators in their communities.
“The model works because it is owned by the people,” Maiyaki said.
Maiyaki added that, the initiative has reclaimed over 500,000 hectares of farmland, reopened markets, and restored agricultural activity, with up to 30 cattle trucks now travelling weekly along previously unsafe routes.
Maiyaki stressed that traditional rulers, clerics, and community leaders are part of the ongoing peace effort.
