No Money Was Paid to Bandits Before Their Surrender, Governor Sani Clarifies

Governor Sani asserts that no ransom or payments were made to bandits before their surrender, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ending insecurity through lawful means.

The Kaduna State Government announced on Friday that no payments were made to bandits as an incentive for them to lay down their arms.

The government also dismissed the idea of engaging in any form of dialogue or negotiations with certain repentant bandits.

Governor Uba Sani revealed this information in an exclusive interview on Channels Television’s program, Politics Today. This announcement came a day after the government welcomed several repentant bandits in the state.

“We didn’t give them a single naira,” the governor stated when questioned if the state government had negotiated financially for the bandits to surrender.

“There was no financial problem whatsoever. Many of them are exhausted, so we sat down with them and asked, ‘Why do you continue to stay in the bush attacking and kidnapping our people?’”

Pardoned for Their Offenses?

On Thursday, the state government welcomed the initial group of reformed bandits in Birnin-Gwari and reopened the cattle market. This market had been closed for approximately a decade due to security concerns in the region.

READ ALSO:Kaduna Gov Receives Repentant Bandits, Promises Rehabilitation

This advancement marks a significant milestone in the state government’s efforts to tackle the longstanding security challenges.

During the show, a question was posed to the governor about whether his administration had pardoned the bandits for their past crimes.

However, he avoided the question. Governor Sani mentioned that it took his administration six months to negotiate peace with the bandits.

The process to reach this position spanned nearly six months. Birnin Gwari is among the most crucial local governments in the North-West due to issues like banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.

“We also collaborate with federal security agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser, making it a joint effort,” Sani added.

The governor stated that efforts to disarm, mobilize, and integrate the repented bandits are underway.

The Kaduna State Government has been diligently striving to involve stakeholders and foster trust among the diverse communities within the state.

Since Boko Haram emerged in 2009 in the Lake Chad basin, located in northeastern Nigeria, the country has been troubled by armed violence.

Several groups have either split from or arisen alongside the insurgency, which has become infamous for numerous mass kidnappings of schoolgirls, despite efforts at a military crackdown.

Armed bandits and kidnapping gangs have sown chaos throughout the region, often exacerbating tensions between farming communities and nomadic herdsmen that sometimes erupt into bloody conflicts.

The unrest has extended to northwest Nigeria, exacerbating the potential for a famine that UN agencies warn could result in 33 million individuals experiencing “acute food insecurity” by next year.