Nigerian Govt Offers Terrorists Education, Healthcare
The Kaduna State government says it has adopted a non-military peace initiative that provides bandits with access to education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities instead of cash incentives as part of efforts to restore peace in the state.
The state Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this during a one-day workshop on Peace Journalism organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council.
Maiyaki said the initiative, tagged the Kaduna Peace Model, represents a deliberate shift “from confrontation to conversation” aimed at building peace through dialogue and community development rather than financial inducement.
“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” he said.
He explained that the state government changed its strategy after years of devastating bandit attacks, choosing to focus on addressing the social and economic causes of insecurity.
“The turning point came when leaders of armed groups asked the government to reopen markets, schools, and healthcare centres that had been shut down because of insecurity.
“We agreed because these are basic human needs, not ransom payments. We didn’t give them a dime. What we gave was life back to communities long abandoned,” Maiyaki stated.
He revealed that between 2015 and 2023, Kaduna State recorded 1160 security incidents, resulting in 4876 deaths and thousands of abductions.
“By 2021 alone, 1192 people were killed and 3,348 abducted, leading to the closure of 142 schools and 192 health facilities across several local government areas,” he added.
Maiyaki said the peace strategy, supported by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), focuses on intelligence sharing, dialogue, and socio-economic inclusion.
He disclosed that through the joint ONSA–Kaduna Peace Committee, more than 500 captives had been released “without the payment of ransom or resorting to force.”
“We are seeing trust where there was fear, and cooperation where there was hostility,” he said.
He further noted that former bandit leaders such as “Jan Bros” and “Yellow One Million” now serve as community peace mediators.
“The peace model works because it is owned by the people. Communities co-create peace instead of having it dictated by government,” he said.
Maiyaki stated that over 500,000 hectares of farmland have been recovered under the initiative, with commercial activities returning to previously deserted areas.
“Markets have reopened, and between 20 and 30 cattle trucks now move weekly on roads that were once feared by travellers,” he said.
“Our people wanted dignity, not pity. Once they saw sincerity, they embraced peace,” he added.
He emphasised that the Kaduna Peace Model is a continuous and inclusive process involving community leaders, clerics, and traditional rulers.
“Peace is cheaper, deeper, and more enduring when people have a stake in it,” he said.
“The Kaduna experience proves that security without humanity is insecurity in disguise.”
Earlier in her remarks, the Head of Department, Strategic Communication and Media Studies at Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr Fatima Shuaibu, said Nigeria’s recurring conflicts were a result of mismanaged diversity and leadership failure.
“The media must deliberately emphasise solution-oriented stories that strengthen peace and social cohesion. When we misreport conflicts, we deepen wounds instead of healing them,” she said.
