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Why banditry may be returning to Kaduna exposes flaws in state government’s peace process
Why banditry may be returning to Kaduna exposes flaws in state government’s peace process
By: Zagazola Makama
The fragile peace in Kaduna State is once again under severe threat as banditry resurfaces along critical highways and rural communities, reviving old concerns over the sincerity and effectiveness of the state government’s amnesty programme.
The killing of Musa Kachallah, a repentant bandit leader who had renounced crime and embraced peace, has once again drawn attention to the uncertain security condition in Kaduna State.
Kachallah, once feared across parts of Chikun Local Government Area, had turned his back on violence, committing himself to community reconciliation. Respected by villagers in Tsohon Gaya for his peace efforts, he became a visible symbol of transformation. His assassination on Aug. 3, however, shattered that image and reignited fears that peace in Kaduna may only be skin-deep.
According to security and community sources, the killing was as calculated as it was cruel. At about 1023 hours on the fateful day, a group of bandits arrived at Kachallah’s residence disguised as friendly visitors. In keeping with local tradition, he welcomed them, offering food and pleasantries. But when night fell, their intentions became clear. At about 1145 hours, sporadic gunshots erupted, sending commotion across the settlement. By the time security personnel arrived, the assailants had disappeared into the surrounding bush.
Among those present during the attack was Shayibu Madugo, a known associate of another bandit figure, Gurgu. One of the assailants, identified as Mallau, was also injured and is reportedly receiving treatment at a secret medical location. Kachallah’s remains were laid to rest the following morning at 1005 hours on Aug. 4, in line with Islamic rites.
The killing goes beyond one man’s death. For months, Kachallah had worked to dissuade youths from taking up arms, urging them to abandon kidnapping and cattle rustling. Residents say he was genuine in his repentance, often standing as a mediator in local disputes.
Now, his silencing has not only discouraged others who might have considered laying down their weapons but also emboldened hardline factions opposed to peace.
It is believed that the killing has inspired retaliatory violence from bandit groups, especially those who perceive the state’s amnesty as insincere or biased. Already, since the killing, security reports indicated that bandits have intensified activities around Chikun, Kauru, Giwa, Makarfi on the Zaria–Kano highway, and Kajuru Local Government Areas and most recently the Abuja–Kaduna road, where a journalist was kidnapped on Friday. Already the authorities have stepped up daily patrol efforts at the Rigasa station line amid suspected security threats.
The resurgence of these pockets of attacks threatens the steady peace that was recorded within the past months in Kaduna, a once epicentre of kidnapping-for-ransom in Nigeria.
Despite these troubling developments, many security stakeholders and residents accuse the state government of complacency. Governor Uba Sani’s much-publicised “Kaduna Model” of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration has been described as a charade, lacking structure, transparency, and credibility.
Unlike amnesty programmes in other volatile regions, Kaduna’s initiative has been criticised for its lack of coordination, strategic framework, absence of community participation, and failure to provide genuine rehabilitation for repentant fighters. While the governor publicly received “repentant bandits” earlier this year and promised international-standard reintegration, there is little on the ground to suggest any concrete plan.
Security sources note that there were no individual risk assessments to differentiate hardened commanders from coerced foot soldiers. No verifiable rehabilitation or livelihood programmes were implemented. No sustainable monitoring structure was set up to ensure compliance. Worst of it, no disarmament programmes was set up to receive arms from the bandits, in most cases, they come without their weapons and go back to their enclaves after every engagement. The programme appeared to have been driven by political optics rather than strategic intent. The killing of Kachallah has now exposed these gaps, with many bandits perceiving the process as betrayal rather than reconciliation.
On the ground, it is the Nigerian Army troops under 1 Division, NAF, the Police with critical support from the DSS that have held the line in places like Birnin Gwari and Chikun, and other part of the state, neutralizing armed groups and securing major corridors. But the military alone cannot guarantee lasting peace without political leadership and state-level initiatives.
Police formations, for instance, remain under-equipped, with most of their patrol vehicles grounded. Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) are unavailable, leaving major entry points into Kaduna unprotected. Despite persistent requests, the state government has not provided critical logistics to complement security operations.
Multiple sources allege that Governor Uba Sani rarely convenes security meetings or reads situation reports. Unlike his counterparts in North Western Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi or Borno in the North East, who are known for prioritising security and directly engaging with security agencies, Sani is accused of disengagement and indifference.
According to the sources, the governor hardly picks calls, responds to urgent messages, or visits attack scenes or victims and their families. His most visible involvement in security matters has been receiving rescued victims handed over by the Office of the National Security Adviser, a role seen more as ceremonial than operational. Besides, Governor Uba Sani mostly operates his state from Abuja.
This disconnect has widened the gap between the state government and frontline security agencies. It has also eroded public trust, leaving rural communities to question whether the state truly has a strategy for peace.
Kaduna’s worsening security point to the collapse of the so-called amnesty programme and the absence of strong political leadership. The failure to build a credible framework for dialogue, reintegration, and rehabilitation has emboldened bandits who now see the state as weak and divided.
The bitter reality is that, while the military and other security agencies continues to make sacrifices to hold the line, the Kaduna State Government has failed to complement these efforts. Peace is fragile, and with bandits regaining confidence, the state risks sliding back into the dark years of mass abductions and rural terror.
The assassination has reopened old wounds. It has exposed once more that peace in the state rests not on a solid foundation, but on fragile promises and the overstretched efforts of security forces.
Unless the state government takes security issues beyond rhetoric by complementing security agencies to stamp out banditry, the region could again descend into unchecked violence.
The question is no longer whether the government’s amnesty will work, but whether Governor Uba Sani truly cares enough to take ownership of the security in his state.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region
Why banditry may be returning to Kaduna exposes flaws in state government’s peace process
UNICEF vaccinates 330 children in Gombe IDP camp
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Gombe State Government, has vaccinated no fewer than 333 displaced children sheltering in a camp in the state.
The children alongside their parents were displaced from their communities in Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State, following attacks by bandits on their villages.
The victims are currently staying in a camp located in Kashere town of Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State.
The Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abdulrahman Shuaibu, while speaking during the visit of UNICEF team to the camp on Friday said health interventions were ongoing to support displaced families.
Shuaibu said that children’s health remained a priority, with several zero-dose children already vaccinated.
He said that about 300 children had received routine immunisation as of Thursday, adding that 33 children previously classified as zero-dose had also been vaccinated.
He further said girls that are nine years old were receiving human papilloma virus vaccines.
“What we have done in the health section is to ensure we conduct reactive vaccination amongst children.
“We have a lot of children that are zero-dose, meaning they are children that have never received any form of vaccines, we have started immunising them.
“We have other children that are less than five that are receiving routine immunisation.
“We have our outreach team that come here at least three times a week to vaccinate children and we have surveillance officers amongst the IDPs that also refer clients from the IDPs to our nearby facilities for treatment,” he said.
According to him, two children had died in the camp while two babies had been delivered since the displaced families arrived.
The state government, he said, was working with UNICEF to provide therapeutic food for malnourished children.
On her part, Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Nuzhat Rafique, said her team visited the camp to support the displaced persons with 600 dignity and WASH kits to improve hygiene and sanitation at the camp.
Dr Rafique said that the intervention aimed to prevent disease outbreaks and improve conditions in the camp.
She expressed concern over poor sanitation and stressed the need to strengthen hygiene practices to safeguard the health of women and children.
“UNICEF is here especially to support immunisation and health services for pregnant and lactating mothers, including deliveries at a nearby facility where services are available.
“Today we distributed hygiene and dignity kits because sanitation is very poor here and hygiene must improve to prevent cholera and other diseases.”
On immunisation, Rafique said vaccination had also begun for many children who had not previously received routine immunisation.
She explained that several zero-dose children at the camp were now being covered under the immunisation programme.
According to her, children who had never attended school were also being supported through plans to establish temporary learning facilities.
“So we will establish a safe learning space so these children can begin learning and continue when they return to their communities,” she said.
Rafique commended the governments of Gombe and Bauchi states for supporting displaced persons.
She also praised the host community for helping to manage the camp and maintain order among residents.
UNICEF vaccinates 330 children in Gombe IDP camp
India Strengthens Youth Ties with Nigeria Through Essay Competition Awards
By: Michael Mike
The High Commission of India in Nigeria has honoured Nigerian winners of an essay competition organised under its newly introduced “Youth Junction” initiative, a programme designed to deepen youth engagement and strengthen people-to-people relations between India and Nigeria.
The prize distribution ceremony which took place at the High Commission in Abuja, drew participation from Nigerian and Indian youths who gathered to celebrate academic excellence, creativity and the growing partnership between the two nations.
Speaking at the event, India’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhishek Singh, said the Youth Junction initiative was created to provide a dynamic platform for young people in both countries to interact, share ideas and explore collaborative opportunities.
He explained that the programme seeks to inspire creativity, learning and innovation among youth while also promoting cultural understanding and strengthening the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
Singh noted that young people remain central to the future of bilateral cooperation, stressing that platforms such as Youth Junction would encourage meaningful exchanges and partnerships in areas of shared interest.
The essay competition, which formed part of the initiative, was launched on February 6, 2026 with the theme “Strength of India–Nigeria Bilateral Relationship.” The contest invited Nigerian students to reflect on the evolving partnership between the two countries and highlight opportunities for deeper cooperation.
A representative of Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended the initiative, describing it as an important platform for strengthening bilateral relations through youth-driven engagement.
The representative noted that by bringing young Nigerians and Indians together, the initiative would encourage collaboration in areas such as technology, entrepreneurship, cultural exchange and digital skills development.
Participants at the event expressed optimism that sustained youth-focused programmes would open new avenues for cooperation and mutual understanding between both countries.
The High Commission congratulated the award recipients and reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the Youth Junction initiative as part of broader efforts to deepen the enduring partnership between India and Nigeria.
India Strengthens Youth Ties with Nigeria Through Essay Competition Awards
Journalists Health Insurance Gets A Boost with Hundreds Enrolled in Abuja
By: Michael Mike
A major push to improve the welfare of journalists gathered momentum in Nigeria’s capital as media leaders and government officials called on philanthropists and public office holders to sponsor health insurance for reporters.
The call came as more than 150 journalists were enrolled in the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme during the launch of a healthcare initiative by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council in Abuja.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Adedolapo Fasawe, used the occasion to urge philanthropists, political leaders, business executives and religious institutions to support journalists by purchasing health insurance coverage for them.
According to her, journalists play a critical role in society by amplifying the voices of citizens and holding institutions accountable, yet many remain without access to basic healthcare protection.
“My purpose of coming here today is to ask political office holders, religious leaders and individuals who want their voices to be heard to buy health insurance for a journalist,” she said.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Grace Ike, is aimed at addressing the long-standing welfare concerns of journalists working in the Federal Capital Territory.
Ike described the launch as a historic turning point for the union, noting that it represents the first structured health insurance programme specifically targeted at journalists in the territory.
“Journalists dedicate their lives to informing the public and shaping national conversations, yet their welfare is often overlooked,” she said. “This initiative is about protecting those who work tirelessly to keep society informed.”
She commended the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information, Akin Rotimi Jr., for supporting the programme and helping initiate the insurance coverage.
She also praised Fasawe for providing 150 free health insurance slots for NUJ members and acknowledged the support of the Permanent Secretary in the FCT Health Secretariat, Babagana Adam, who pledged to sponsor 50 additional journalists in memory of his late brother.
With these contributions, Ike disclosed that about 200 journalists in the FCT have already secured health insurance coverage under the scheme.
Fasawe further announced an additional 50 insurance slots during the event, pushing the coverage to about 65 per cent of NUJ members in the territory. She revealed that about 480 out of the estimated 800 journalists operating in the FCT are now captured under the health insurance programme.
The health official stressed that expanding insurance coverage aligns with the healthcare reforms being pursued by the FCT Administration under the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
She noted that the administration has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward maternal mortality and has expanded access to free antenatal care and delivery services for vulnerable pregnant women across primary healthcare centres in the FCT.
Also speaking, the National President of the NUJ, Alhassan Yahya, said the initiative was a critical intervention given the extremely low health insurance coverage among journalists nationwide.
He revealed that studies show less than one per cent of Nigerian journalists currently have any form of health insurance, leaving many vulnerable to high out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The programme, unveiled during the NUJ FCT Congress attended by more than 450 members, was widely welcomed by journalists who described it as a long-awaited step toward improving the welfare and security of media professionals in the nation’s capital.
Stakeholders at the event expressed optimism that sustained support from government agencies, private organisations and philanthropists would help extend health insurance coverage to all journalists in the Federal Capital Territory.
Journalists Health Insurance Gets A Boost with Hundreds Enrolled in Abuja
UNICEF vaccinates 330 children in Gombe IDP camp
India Strengthens Youth Ties with Nigeria Through Essay Competition Awards
Journalists Health Insurance Gets A Boost with Hundreds Enrolled in Abuja
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