The Kaduna State Government says it has adopted a new peace approach that focuses on education, healthcare and livelihoods for bandits, rather than giving cash rewards.
The policy is designed to reduce violence and rebuild affected communities.
State authorities explained that this model aims to restore normal life in areas once controlled by armed groups.
Kaduna State Government Officials say the plan focuses on long-term solutions instead of temporary military victories.
According to the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, the initiative, known as the Kaduna Peace Model, is a shift “from confrontation to conversation.”
He described the approach as a deliberate effort to build peace through social investment and dialogue instead of money-for-amnesty programmes.
“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” he said at a Peace Journalism workshop organised by the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in Kaduna.
Maiyaki noted that insecurity forced government to rethink its strategy after years of repeated attacks and large-scale displacement.
He said the turning point came when leaders of armed groups requested the reopening of closed schools, markets and health centres.
“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 from 2015 to 2023, Kaduna experienced 1,160 security incidents, with 4,876 deaths and thousands of kidnappings.
In 2021 alone, 1192 people were killed, while more than 3,348 were abducted. The crisis led to the closure of over 142 schools and 192 health facilities in several communities.
Maiyaki explained that the peace initiative is in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser and centres on dialogue, intelligence cooperation and community engagement.
He further noted that more than 500 kidnapped persons had been freed through the ONSA–Kaduna Peace Committee “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, adding that ex-bandit leaders like “Jan Bros” and “Yellow One Million” now serve as peace intermediaries in rural areas.
According to him, the model has helped reclaim over 500,000 hectares of previously abandoned farmlands, while trade routes and markets that once stayed empty now record weekly movement of cattle trucks.
“Our people wanted dignity, not pity. Once they saw sincerity, they embraced peace,” he added, stressing that the initiative places community leaders, clerics and traditional rulers at the centre of the process.
He concluded by saying the Kaduna Peace Model is built on inclusion and community ownership:
“Peace is cheaper, deeper, and more enduring when people have a stake in it.”
“The Kaduna experience proves that security without humanity is insecurity in disguise.”
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Fatima Shuaibu of Kaduna Polytechnic argued that Nigeria’s recurring crises stem from poorly managed diversity and leadership failures.
She urged journalists to promote reporting that fosters unity and encourages peaceful coexistence.