Governor Uba Sani has dismissed allegations that his administration has given money to bandits, insisting that his government’s priority has been supporting victims of insecurity, not compensating criminals.
Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme aired on Thursday, Governor Sani described the accusations as baseless and a distortion of his administration’s efforts to rebuild lives shattered by violence in the state.
“When I became governor, some people went around saying I was planning to pay off bandits,” he said. “I told them that a man who fought for justice and freedom of the downtrodden cannot sit down with bandits.”
He emphasized that instead of engaging or funding criminal groups, his administration has launched programs aimed at rehabilitating communities and providing permanent shelter for those displaced by banditry and insurgency.
“Just two weeks ago, I launched a housing project for victims of insurgency. I have not given one naira to the bandits, but I have built houses for the victims of banditry in Kaduna,” he said.
Governor Sani also highlighted the community-led nature of security initiatives in the state, explaining that sustainable peace can only be achieved when residents are actively involved.
“As a governor, you cannot champion that alone; it must be a community-based initiative. They must own it, and that’s what we’ve been doing in Kaduna,” he stated.
On the issue of farmer-herder conflicts, which have historically plagued the state, the governor noted that Kaduna has enjoyed relative peace under his leadership thanks to an inclusive governance model.
“Today in Kaduna, we have not had a single farmer-herder crisis. We solved this through inclusivity. You need to include everyone,” he said.
“President Tinubu didn’t need to come to the north to tell you how to run your state.”
