By Atoyebi Nike
The Kaduna State Government says it has offered education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities not cash incentives to armed groups as part of a new dialogue-driven peace strategy aimed at ending years of killings and kidnappings. Commissioner for Information Ahmed Maiyaki explained the approach on Wednesday at a Peace Journalism workshop organised by the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in collaboration with the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria.
Maiyaki said the policy, known as the Kaduna Peace Model, shifts from “confrontation to conversation,” focusing on rebuilding communities and addressing the social and economic drivers of insecurity. He noted that the government agreed to reopen closed markets, schools and healthcare centres at the request of armed group leaders, stressing that no ransom or cash benefits were offered.
Between 2015 and 2023, Kaduna recorded over 1,160 security incidents resulting in 4,876 deaths, with thousands kidnapped and dozens of schools and clinics forced to shut down. Maiyaki said the new approach, supported by the Office of the National Security Adviser, has led to the safe release of more than 500 captives without ransom.
He added that former bandit leaders such as “Jan Bros” and “Yellow One Million” now serve as community peace mediators, contributing to stability in previously volatile areas. According to him, over 500,000 hectares of farmland have been recovered, markets have reopened, and agricultural activity is returning.
Maiyaki said peacebuilding remains an ongoing process involving traditional rulers, clerics and community leaders. “Peace is cheaper, deeper and more enduring when people have a stake in it,” he said.
At the workshop, Kaduna Polytechnic lecturer Fatima Shuaibu said Nigeria’s conflicts stem from mismanaged diversity and urged journalists to promote unity-focused narratives. The Global Peace Foundation’s Country Director, Rev. Joseph Hayab, encouraged reporters to prioritise reconciliation and solution-based storytelling.
NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Chairperson, Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, said the training aims to strengthen conflict-sensitive reporting and amplify peacebuilding initiatives across the state.
The discussion comes as Kaduna continues to grapple with pockets of violence, including an October clash between suspected bandits and illegal miners in Kuyello Ward, Birnin Gwari, which left several people dead.
