Kaduna Insists on No Negotiations With Bandits, as DDR Peace Committee Takes Off

From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has established a new Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR), Peace, and Security Committee to build on the successes of the Kaduna Peace Model and synchronize state efforts with the national framework on DDR, peace, and security.

The committee, inaugurated on Monday by Governor Senator Uba Sani, is led by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Abdulkadir Muazu Mayere.

During the inaugural session, Dr. Mayere stated that the Committee arrived at a crucial time and would reinforce the Governor’s peacebuilding, security, and reintegration initiatives.

“So our commitment is to build on what is already happening with respect to the efforts of the Governor under the Kaduna Peace Model, within the framework of the national framework on DDR, Peace, and Security,” he said.

“And continue to ensure that Kaduna leads as a model state in addressing our security challenges.”

Dr. Mayere reaffirmed the state government’s stance on engaging with criminal groups, emphasizing that the Kaduna Peace Model does not involve negotiating with bandits.

“The Governor has said repeatedly that Kaduna State does not negotiate with bandits,” he stressed.

He clarified that the approach goes beyond force alone to address insecurity. “The Governor believes you cannot adopt only the kinetic approach to address this complex, multidimensional problem,” Dr. Mayere explained.

“The Governor believes in community engagement, in digging much deeper to identify the root causes and the drivers.”

Using a medical analogy, he said the initial step in treatment is proper diagnosis, which he considers a core principle of Kaduna’s model. He added that signs of progress are evident across the state.

“Everybody knows the evidence is there that there is significant progress with respect to peace and reduction of conflicts in Kaduna State,” he said.

While acknowledging that victory is not declared yet, Dr. Mayere emphasized Kaduna’s leadership in this effort and urged journalists to report on the notable achievements under the Governor’s initiative.

“Many of you are aware that before the Governor introduced this strategy, we had over 500 of our primary schools closed, where children had no access to basic education,” he said.

“We have 194 primary healthcare centers that are not functioning. We have markets that provide economic activity for hundreds of thousands of our citizens, yet they are shut down.

He added: “But today, many of those markets have reopened, schools have resumed, our children now have access to basic education, and primary healthcare centers that were previously shut down are now open and operational.”

Dr. Mayere said the new committee will build on these achievements and align with the Federal Government’s framework on DDR, Peace, and Security.

Also speaking, Dr. Paul Nyulaku, DDR Technical Advisor on the DDR Framework Development Process and the Harmonization of DDR Initiatives in Nigeria, said the Kaduna model has reached significant milestones.

He highlighted the Birnin Gwari axis, which was inaccessible a few years ago but is now open for business and travel. “Today, people are traveling those roads and continuing their activities in those areas,” Dr. Nyulaku said.

“I believe that is a strong indicator of peace and the kind of progress that the Kaduna Peace Model has achieved over recent years.”

Dr. Nyulaku, who collaborates with the UK Strengthening Peace in Nigeria program, stated that his team is supporting the new committee in reviewing, strengthening, and enhancing the model.

“He said, “There is no perfect model in the world,” and emphasized that Kaduna’s approach is a bold step, with a structured committee comprising senior government officials: commissioners, special advisers, and chaired by the Secretary to the State Government.

He described the committee as inter-ministerial, involving members from Justice, Environment, the Interfaith Bureau, and other ministries, all pooling resources to ensure the DDR process succeeds as a peacebuilding tool.

“So I think this very well brings us to a place where we know that a committee like this will succeed because the right persons are members of the committee,” Dr. Nyulaku said.

“It is an inter-ministerial committee… to ensure that the DDR process… becomes a model that several other states and possibly countries will learn from.”

Addressing misconceptions around amnesty, Dr. Nyulaku clarified that DDR is not the same as amnesty and does not provide a blanket pardon for crimes.

“Amnesty is a subset of what you do to persons who have committed a crime against the state. But it’s not every crime that is pardonable,” he said.

He noted that the term “amnesty” has been conflated in Nigeria because the first recent DDR process in the Niger Delta was called an “amnesty program.”

“But amnesty is just a subset of the entire DDR process that aims to pardon some crimes that are pardonable,” he said.

“Now, criminal offenses—if you violate the criminal law—are not eligible for amnesty.”

He explained that the national framework is clear, and states must decide which crimes are pardonable.

“Within the DDR process, some individuals are eligible for DDR. This means they go through deradicalization and are given alternative sources of income,” he explained.

“There are others who have committed heinous crimes—crimes against humanity—for which their actions cannot be pardoned, as outlined in our constitution and criminal laws.”

Dr. Nyulaku said such individuals may be offered safe passage if they decide to abandon crime, but they still must face judicial proceedings. “DDR is not an escape route,” he said.

“DDR is a peacebuilding tool—it is not where criminals hide to escape punishment. The criminal laws clearly specify what crimes are committed, and DDR does not grant blanket amnesty for these crimes,” he concluded.