The Kaduna State Government has unveiled a new peace initiative aimed at ending years of killings, kidnappings, and communal unrest by offering bandits access to education, healthcare, and livelihood support — a shift it describes as “restoring humanity through dialogue, not confrontation.”
Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, made the disclosure on Wednesday during a one-day workshop on Peace Journalism organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, in collaboration with the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and the Ministry of Information.
The initiative, tagged Kaduna Peace Model, represents a deliberate transition from what the government termed a “warfare mindset” to a “welfare approach,” focusing on rebuilding trust between communities and armed groups rather than relying solely on military operations or ransom payments.
> “You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” Maiyaki told participants, stressing that the government’s strategy prioritises dialogue and development over confrontation.
According to him, the turning point came when leaders of armed groups requested the reopening of schools, markets, and health centres that had been shut down due to persistent insecurity.
“We agreed because these are basic human needs, not ransom payments. We didn’t give them a dime. What we gave them was life back to their communities — a chance for understanding and coexistence,” he explained.
Maiyaki painted a grim picture of Kaduna’s security history, noting that between 2015 and 2023, the state recorded 1,160 security incidents leading to 4,876 deaths, with thousands kidnapped or displaced. In 2021 alone, 1,192 people were killed while 3,348 were abducted, forcing the closure of 142 schools and 192 health facilities.
Once branded a “red zone” by the international community, Kaduna, he said, is now gradually regaining stability through a non-kinetic approach anchored on intelligence sharing, dialogue, and socio-economic reintegration.
The commissioner further disclosed that through the Joint ONSA–Kaduna Peace Committee, more than 500 captives have been safely released via negotiations — without any ransom payment or use of force.
“We are seeing trust where there was fear, and cooperation where there was hostility,” Maiyaki added, describing the development as a hopeful step toward sustainable peace.
