A public affairs analyst, Edward Auta, has dismissed claims that the Kaduna State Government engages in negotiations or payments to bandits, stressing that the Governor Uba Sani-led administration relies solely on a structured peace model to tackle insecurity.
Auta made the clarification on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, insisting that Kaduna’s improving security landscape is the result of deliberate policies, not deals with criminal groups.
“The model does not involve negotiating or making any deal with bandits. What the governor does is provide access to healthcare, access to education, access to infrastructure and inclusion in government,” he said.
Auta described a comment credited to former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, about the government paying ransom to bandits as “laughable”.
According to him, El-Rufai remains the only public office holder who has ever openly admitted to paying bandits, particularly during the violent episodes in Southern Kaduna.
“It is laughable for Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai to come here and talk about payment because he is the only one who has come out publicly to admit that he paid bandits to stop killing people in Southern Kaduna,” Auta said.
He contrasted the current security situation with what he called the “blood-soaked” years of the past administration.
“Under the past administration, our rivers were pools of blood, and our highways were dangerous. People could not travel from Kaduna to Abuja despite its proximity to the nation’s capital.”
Auta argued that Kaduna State has experienced significant improvements since the adoption of the peace model under Governor Nasir El-Rufai, not Governor Sani.
“Today it is different. Our highways are safer, people have returned to their farms, and we are seeing a relative increase in productivity. We have renovated schools, and yes, we have seen some attacks, but we must give it to Governor Uba Sani for his efforts in maintaining peace in the state.”
Explaining the peace model, Auta said it focuses on community collaboration, tackling the root causes of banditry, and addressing long-standing grievances.
He emphasised that the model does not include negotiating with bandits or offering them incentives, noting that many young boys are exploited by bandit groups and used as foot soldiers.
“Some of these bandits make use of little teenage boys to carry their arms and unleash these terrors, and Governor Uba Sani is dealing with that,” he said.
Auta further highlighted how political exclusion under previous administrations contributed to insecurity in the State.
“For 12 years, there were local governments that did not see any local or federal government appointments, but today, Kaduna is a construction site; there are roads in the local villages,” he insisted.
Despite the progress, he acknowledged that the peace model faces a significant challenge from neighbouring states that have not implemented similar community-driven approaches.
“The challenge of the peace model is not the model itself; it is the failure of neighbouring states to adopt the same method. We have had problems of infiltration.”
Auta concluded that even critics of the current administration must acknowledge the impact of the peace model on reducing attacks and restoring community confidence.
“Banditry is not the absence of anarchy and attacks; even if you hate this government, you must give it to them. And even if you look at the Kaduna Peace Model, you will know that it is a model that will take time,” he said.
