Katsina gov offers reintegration deal to repentant bandits

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has called on bandits operating in forests across the North-West to lay down their arms and embrace peace, assuring them that the government remains willing to support those who genuinely repent and reintegrate into society.

Insecurity in North-West Nigeria has evolved beyond a security problem into a broader challenge involving livelihoods, climate change, governance, social cohesion and economic opportunities.

For nearly a decade, what began as farmer-herder disputes evolved into widespread banditry, organised crime and the proliferation of small arms.

Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration of 152 mass housing units for the internally displaced persons in Jibia Local Government Area, the governor said peace and prosperity could only be achieved through lawful means and honest labour.

He said, “To those our brothers and sisters in the bush or in the forest, to those who still raise weapons against our own people, to those who have taken to banditry, kidnapping and violence, hear me very well today. There is a better way.

“The doors for dialogue, repentance and reintegration remain open to you. Lay down your arms, come back to your families, come back to your communities.

“The same houses, the same grants, the same opportunities being delivered here today can be yours tomorrow, not through fear, not through bloodshed, but through peace, good governance and honest labour.

“Choose your children over your weapons, choose prosperity over destruction and choose life,” adding that the government was ready to receive every son and daughter willing to embrace peace.

Radda recalled that the Jibia housing project, flagged off in October 2024, had become a reality through collaboration between the Katsina State Government and development partners.

“What was then a vision is today a living reality, and that, distinguished guests, is what hope, partnership and resolute action can build together,” he stated.

He disclosed that each beneficiary family would receive not only a house but also mattresses, mats, blankets, cooking stoves, one bag of rice and a cash grant of N200,000.

“These houses are far more than walls and roofs. They are a promise kept to internally displaced families who endured the cruel pain of banditry, kidnapping and violent crime.

“Families who lost loved ones, livelihoods and the simple dignity of a place to call home. Today, we restore that dignity. Today, we tell every displaced mother, father and child in Katsina State that they have not been forgotten and never will be,” he said.

Radda explained that the Jibia intervention extended beyond housing to include the construction of a Climate Peace Entrepreneurship Centre, solar mini-grid electrification, a veterinary clinic, market stalls and shops, VIP toilets at the cattle market, rehabilitation of the cattle loading ramp and provision of potable water and streetlights, among others.

The governor revealed that the council had not recorded any deliberate attack or kidnapping in recent years.

“Across the state, our farmers have returned to their fields in both rainy and dry seasons. Productivity has risen, and prices of several food items are beginning to ease. Children are returning to school. Markets are reopening. Hope is rising.

“Indeed, we are determined that the insecurity that has scarred our region will in the nearest possible future be confined to history, Insha Allah,” he said.

Radda expressed appreciation to the United Nations Development Programme, the German Government through GIZ, the Norwegian Government and other development partners, describing the housing project as the beginning of deeper cooperation.

“The root causes of insecurity, poverty, displacement, climate stress, unemployment and weak livelihoods will not yield to one project, one ministry or one government acting alone. They demand sustained, coordinated and ambitious partnerships”, Radda added.

Also speaking, the Resident Representative of the UNDP, Ms Elsie Attafuah, described the project as a major step towards restoring dignity and rebuilding communities affected by conflict and displacement.

She said, “It is about families rebuilding their lives. It is about communities recovering from hardship. It is about creating opportunities for a more secure and prosperous future,” she said.

Attafuah acknowledged the impact of insecurity, displacement and climate-related pressures on communities in North-West Nigeria but commended residents for their resilience.

“Despite these challenges, the people have shown remarkable resilience, and the investments we are commissioning today are designed to support that resilience,” she said.

According to her, the 152 housing units provide “more than shelter, they provide dignity, stability and a place families can once again call home.”