On January 4, Daily Trust published an exclusive report on the ongoing peace deal between the Kaduna State government and some bandit leaders operating in and around the state. The report, titled: ?Inside Kaduna?s peace deal with bandits,? gave a detailed account of what appears to be a shift in strategy under Governor Uba Sani?s administration in tackling banditry, compared to his predecessor, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai.

El-Rufai?s strategy was an all-out war with bandits, leaving little or no room for negotiations. He had on multiple times declared that any bandit arrested in the state must be killed and insisted that the only solution to ending insecurity in the North West was to eliminate all bandits.

The human and economic cost of banditry has been enormous, not just for Kaduna State but the entire Northern region. For years, the menace had claimed hundreds of lives, displaced millions and caused untold hardship to the people. The bandits have in many cases taunted Nigerians with fear and evoked a feeling of despair as they displayed their millions of naira spoils from abductions. Despite years of ground and air operations, with the military claiming it neutralised hundreds of the terrorists, the security challenges in the region have not improved even as attempts by some states in the North West to dialogue with the bandits have failed.

Following this, it is safe to say that all options, including negotiations, must be explored to bring an end to the violence. Reports from Kaduna reveal that the peace deal has brought about some notable progress. Many villagers, particularly in Birnin Gwari and Giwa, two of the hardest-hit local government areas, have expressed hope that the peace deal could pave the way for them to return to their communities, build their lives, and resume farming. One early achievement of the peace deal was the opening of the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway, which used to be one of the most dangerous routes in the state, even more dangerous than the notorious Kaduna-Abuja highway.

While we commend the Kaduna State government for exploring this difficult option to restore peace in the state, we must stress the importance of a more comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable approach for the North West. A unilateral action that does not take into account the role of border states such as Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger; also facing similar threats, if not worse, could jeopardise the long-term effectiveness of any peace deal, especially since these bandits lack a central leadership or a unified structure. This is against the backdrop of the position taken by the North West governors in early 2024, rejecting any form of peace deal with bandits. The federal government, too, has not made a clear statement on negotiating with these outlaws, even though it said it had put in place both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to eliminate the challenge.

At Daily Trust, we believe that both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches must be explored to end insecurity in the region. There is a need for a national policy involving all affected states, working with the federal government and security agencies to dialogue with bandits willing to lay down their arms. Without this synergy, any peace deal in Kaduna risks becoming temporary as these bandits are known to criss-cross between Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states.

We therefore urge the federal government to develop a comprehensive, unified policy to address the security crisis in the North West. This policy should be uniformly and simultaneously implemented across all affected states. The policy must also clearly define the consequences for any bandit leader who resists the peace deal or who reneges on the peace deal. Those who break their commitment to the government must face the full wrath of the law and bandit leaders who have pledged allegiance to the government must help security agents to track and apprehend violators to face justice.

We call on the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), under the leadership of Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to use all available resources to track down and dismantle all networks of bandits, especially their ?powerful? backers who are living in the cities, and provide information, logistics and financial support to those in the bushes. These individuals, who are the main backers of banditry must be identified, arrested and prosecuted to send a clear message that all perpetrators of violence will be held accountable.

We reiterate that the peace process in Kaduna, though promising, cannot operate in isolation from the rest of the North West unless it is part of a larger, coordinated national effort. A unilateral approach, without the backing and cooperation of neighbouring states and the federal government, will make it a temporary solution to a large problem that prolongs the suffering of the people. (Daily Trust Editorial)

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