Lay down your arms’: Radda renews dialogue offer to bandits

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has renewed an offer of dialogue and rehabilitation to bandits willing to renounce violence, urging those operating in forests across the North-west to lay down their arms and return to their communities.

The governor spoke on Thursday during the inauguration of 152 housing units and other development projects constructed for internally displaced persons (IDPs) through a partnership involving the Katsina State Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the German government and other development partners.

Mr Radda said the state remained committed to pursuing peace-building efforts alongside ongoing security operations, stressing that opportunities for repentance and reintegration remained available to those genuinely willing to abandon criminal activities.

“To our brothers and sisters in the bush and forests, to those who still raise weapons against our people and have embraced banditry, kidnapping and violence, hear me clearly today: there is a better way,” the governor said.

“The doors for dialogue, repentance and reintegration remain open. Lay down your arms, come back to your families and communities. The same opportunities being delivered here today can be yours tomorrow—not through fear or bloodshed, but through peace, good governance and honest labour.”

The housing project, located in Jibia Local Government Area, was conceived to support families displaced by years of armed attacks, kidnappings and other forms of insecurity in the state.

According to the governor, each beneficiary household will receive a housing unit, mattresses, mats, blankets, cooking stoves, a bag of rice and a cash grant of N200,000 to help them rebuild their lives.

“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,” Mr Radda said.

“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 noted that the project, initially flagged off in October 2024, had become a reality through collaboration between the state government and development partners.

The governor said the intervention extends beyond housing, incorporating infrastructure and livelihood support intended to address some of the underlying drivers of conflict and displacement.

The projects commissioned include a Climate Peace Entrepreneurship Centre, solar mini-grid electrification, a veterinary clinic, market stalls and shops, VIP toilets at the cattle market, rehabilitation of a cattle loading ramp, potable water facilities and street lighting.

Mr Radda said the government’s investments in housing, agriculture, livelihoods and community infrastructure were designed to create alternatives to crime while promoting long-term stability.

“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,” he said. “They demand sustained, coordinated and ambitious partnerships.”

The governor also highlighted what he described as improvements in security across parts of Katsina State, particularly in Batsari and Jibia areas, where communities have been among the worst affected by bandit attacks.

He said farmers had increasingly returned to their farms during both rainy and dry seasons, while markets were reopening and school attendance was improving.

“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,” he said.

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

Speaking at the event, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, described the project as a significant step towards restoring dignity and rebuilding communities affected by conflict and displacement.

“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,” Ms Attafuah said.

She 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.”

Katsina is among the states most affected by banditry and kidnapping in North-west Nigeria. Over the years, thousands of residents have been displaced by attacks on rural communities, while authorities have alternated between military operations and dialogue initiatives aimed at reducing violence.

Mr Radda’s latest appeal comes as his administration continues efforts to combine security measures with economic recovery, rehabilitation and community development programmes in areas affected by conflict.