Daniel Otera
The Kaduna State Government has revealed that it secured the release of over 500 kidnap victims through negotiation and community engagement, without paying ransom or deploying military force, as part of an unconventional peace strategy that offers armed bandits access to education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities instead of cash.
Ahmed Maiyaki, the state Commissioner for Information, disclosed this on Wednesday at a one-day workshop on Peace Journalism organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna State Council, in partnership with the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and the Kaduna State Ministry of Information.
Maiyaki explained that the initiative, called the Kaduna Peace Model, represented a fundamental departure from military confrontation towards dialogue-driven development, addressing the underlying social and economic factors fuelling insecurity across the state.
“You cannot bomb peace into existence; you must build it with trust,” the commissioner said, describing years of devastating attacks that had crippled communities and displaced thousands.
According to Maiyaki, the state government deliberately abandoned purely kinetic approaches after recording catastrophic levels of violence. Between 2015 and 2023, Kaduna State documented 1,160 security incidents that claimed 4,876 lives, with thousands more abducted or forcibly displaced from their homes.
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The violence reached its peak in 2021 when 1,192 people were killed and 3,348 kidnapped, forcing authorities to shut down 142 schools and 192 health facilities across several local government areas as armed groups tightened their grip on rural communities.
“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,” Maiyaki said.
“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.”
The commissioner said the peace strategy, which receives support from the Office of the National Security Adviser, prioritises intelligence sharing, dialogue and socio-economic inclusion over traditional military operations.
Through the joint ONSA–Kaduna Peace Committee, more than 500 captives have been safely released via negotiations conducted without ransom payments or use of force, Maiyaki disclosed.
“We are seeing trust where there was fear, and cooperation where there was hostility,” he said, citing examples of former bandit commanders such as “Jan Bros” and “Yellow One Million,” who now work as community peace mediators helping to maintain stability in previously volatile regions.
“The peace model works because it is owned by the people. Communities co-create peace instead of having it dictated by government,” Maiyaki added.
According to the commissioner, over 500,000 hectares of farmland have been recovered under the peace initiative, with agricultural and commercial activities gradually returning to areas previously under siege by armed groups.
“Markets have reopened, and between 20 and 30 cattle trucks now move weekly on roads that were once feared by travellers,” Maiyaki said, describing each reopened school, clinic and marketplace as “a victory over fear.”
He stressed that dialogue and inclusion had achieved results that military operations could not deliver, noting that affected populations sought dignity rather than sympathy.
“Our people wanted dignity, not pity. Once they saw sincerity, they embraced peace,” the commissioner said.
Maiyaki clarified that the process was not a one-off ceasefire but an ongoing engagement involving traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders designed to prevent any relapse into violence.
“Peace is cheaper, deeper, and more enduring when people have a stake in it,” he said. “The Kaduna experience proves that security without humanity is insecurity in disguise.”
In her presentation at the workshop, the Guest Lecturer and Head of Department, Strategic Communication and Media Studies at Kaduna Polytechnic, Fatima Shuaibu, attributed Nigeria’s recurring conflicts to mismanaged diversity and leadership failure.
Shuaibu urged journalists to promote narratives that encourage unity and coexistence rather than division, warning that irresponsible reporting deepens societal wounds.
“The media must deliberately emphasise solution-oriented stories that strengthen peace and social cohesion. When we misreport conflicts, we deepen wounds instead of healing them,” she said.
The Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev. Joseph Hayab, emphasised the critical role of peace reporting in national transformation, calling on journalists to focus on stories that foster reconciliation and mutual understanding.
“Media must be a bridge, not a barrier. Every story of peace you tell helps shape public perception and strengthens our shared humanity,” Hayab said.
The Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Kaduna State, Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, said the workshop was organised to equip reporters with skills in conflict-sensitive journalism and to promote the Kaduna Peace Model as a framework for unity and development.
She urged journalists in the state to amplify peacebuilding efforts and contribute to restoring confidence in communities affected by years of insecurity.
Last October, at least seven people were feared dead following a violent clash between suspected bandits and illegal miners in Kuyello Ward, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, sending residents fleeing into nearby bushes as gunfire erupted in the usually peaceful community.