Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has refuted claims that the state government paid bandits to surrender their arms.
He firmly stated that no financial incentives were offered, emphasizing that his administration would not engage in any form of dialogue or negotiations with repentant bandits.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Governor Sani clarified the government’s stance a day after receiving a group of repentant bandits in the state. When asked whether any monetary agreement was made to encourage the disarmament, the governor responded, “We did not give them one naira.”
He further explained, “There was no monetary issue at all. Most of them are simply tired. We sat down with them and asked, ‘Why do you continue to stay in the bush attacking and kidnapping our people?’”
This development follows the state government’s reception of the first group of repentant bandits in Birnin-Gwari and the reopening of a cattle market that had been closed for about a decade due to insecurity in the area.
Governor Sani revealed that it took six months of coordinated efforts to achieve peace in the region, which has been a hotspot for banditry, kidnappings, and insurgency in the North-West.
“This process took almost six months to reach this stage. Birnin-Gwari is one of the most affected local governments in terms of insecurity. We also worked closely with federal security agencies and the office of the National Security Adviser. It has been a collective effort,” he said.
He added that the process of disarming, mobilizing, and reintegrating the repentant bandits into society is currently underway.
