DAILY TRUST
In a significant move towards restoring peace to Kaduna State, scores of bandits terrorising not less than five local government areas have agreed to drop their arms and discontinue their reign of terror in and around the state.
The bandits are known to terrorise Chikun, Kajuru, Kagarko, Giwa and Birnin Gwari local government areas.
Based in enclaves, they have terrorised communities and major highways, such as the Kaduna-Abuja highway, Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway, as well as the Funtua-Birnin Gwari road.
Weekend Trust had an exclusive access into a peace deal spearheaded by the Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with some federal government agencies that saw many notorious bandit kingpins and their foot soldiers pledging peace and agreeing to lay down their arms.
Within a stretch of three days in December, our correspondent accompanied government officials to various enclaves and observed the interactions between the bandits, mostly armed with AK47 rifles, and representatives of the government in Tsohuwar Gayan, Chikun local government area; Rima Forest and Maidaro in Giwa Local Government Area; as well as Kamfanin Doka, along the Funtua-Birnin Gwari road.
The initiative was, however, not without an initial glitch as less than 72 hours after the peace deal, one of the popular kingpins, Samaila Suleiman, also known as Boka, who was terrorising communities in Chikun, as well as Jere in Kagarko, Rijana in Kachia and parts of Kajuru Local Government Area, was killed in what sources said was a military raid. This had caused a major setback to the peace efforts.
Weekend Trust reports that since the killing of Boka, other bandit leaders did not only threaten to pull out of the peace deal, but hinted of a likely reprisal on communities around Birnin Gwari.
But those championing the peace deal said there is no cause for alarm, insisting that the process was ongoing and the ultimate positive result would be felt soon.
Kaduna government reacts
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, Malam Ibrahim Musa, who spoke on the matter, said the state government, in collaboration with some federal agencies, had established The Peace Dialogue Group, which is developing the ‘Kaduna Model,’ a comprehensive framework for sustainable peace and security.
He said: “This model will include disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, alongside investments in rural development and conflict resolution. It is a holistic approach that addresses both the symptoms and root causes of insecurity.
“The model entails engaging stakeholders tirelessly. This non-kinetic approach led to numerous meetings and extensive discussions, culminating in building bridges of trust, which made several senior bandit leaders to lay down their arms and embrace peace, along with their followers,” he said.
He said that in order to sustain the peace deal, the government had outlawed the activities of Ýan Sa Kai, the local vigilante, especially in Birnin Gwari. In addition, he said Governor Uba Sani would be fair and just to everyone, including farmers, herders and traders in order to achieve a lasting peace and development in the state.
Musa further said the state government’s rehabilitation of repentant bandits was based on the principle of carrot and stick, stressing that while it welcomes those who choose peace, it would not hesitate to take a decisive action against anyone who continues to perpetuate violence.
Face-to-face with bandit kingpins
Security sources hinted Weekend Trust in December that negotiations started two months ago as part of efforts by mainly the Kaduna State Government to use kinetic and non-kinetic measures to end insecurity in the state.
Our correspondent reports that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has not made a clear policy direction about peace deal with bandits, but several deals orchestrated by past governments of Zamfara and Katsina states have failed. Many analysts insist that bandits have no central leadership, which makes it difficult to reach any form of peace agreement with them.
But there are other opinion leaders who believe that different options must be adopted to bring an end to the insecurity ravaging the North-West, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced many.
The immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari had in 2022 branded the bandits as terrorists.
While reinforcing their stand in February last year, governors in the North-West also ruled out any form of peace deal with bandits. Their chairman and governor of Katsina State, Umar Dikko Radda, instead maintained that the launch of a quasi-security organisation referred to as Community Protection Guards would help check the activities of bandits in the region.
READ THE FULL STORY IN DAILY TRUST
Connect with us on our socials: