KADUNA, Nigeria — Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has defended his administration’s decision to negotiate with bandits, emphasizing that dialogue was a response to pleas from affected communities and traditional leaders.
“I’d rather negotiate with bandits than bear the weight of a single life lost in Kaduna,” Sani said in an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Monday. “If not, I will be held accountable on the day of resurrection, having promised and sworn an oath.”
The governor cited a meeting with the Emir of Birnin Gwari, who, alongside his subjects, called for dialogue to end over a decade of violence.
“Our communities have been plagued by the scourge of banditry, resulting in tragic loss of lives and abductions for years, with no lasting solution in sight,” Sani quoted the emir as saying.
Following consultations with stakeholders, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the governor initiated peace talks. He reported a breakthrough, with over 200 abducted persons freed in Giwa and Birnin Gwari local government areas.
Sani denied allegations of ransom payments to the terrorists. “I want to assure you that not a single naira was paid to them,” he said.
Farming and business activities have resumed in the affected regions, a sign of the deal’s impact, Sani added. “The relative peace we are enjoying now will be sustained,” he assured.
