Insecurity: Kaduna unveils disarmament, reintegration committee

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Monday inaugurated the State Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration, Peace and Security Committee, declaring that his administration would provide the necessary political will to ensure its success.

The initiative, facilitated by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Counter Terrorism Centre, marks the first time such a committee is being established at the subnational level in the country.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the governor recalled that Kaduna had only recently emerged from a period of intense insecurity, when bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements held sway across large parts of the state.

“Not too long ago, Kaduna State stood at a precarious crossroads. Criminal elements had entrenched themselves across vast swathes of our territory.

“Our highways became theatres of fear, our rural communities lived under constant threat, and economic activity was severely constrained. The Kaduna–Abuja corridor and the Birnin Gwari axis, once vital arteries of movement and commerce, became emblematic of insecurity,” he said.

Sani noted that upon assumption of office, his administration adopted a multi-dimensional strategy to confront the crisis, combining force with dialogue and socio-economic interventions.

“From the very outset, we resolved that the challenge of insecurity would not be approached with resignation, but with clarity, courage and innovation,” he stated.

According to him, the complexity of insecurity required both kinetic and non-kinetic responses, leading to the development of what he described as the “Kaduna Peace Model.”

He explained that the model addresses underlying drivers of conflict, such as poverty, social exclusion, limited access to education and lack of economic opportunities, alongside strengthening security operations.

“In confronting these realities, we have combined robust security operations with deliberate investments in human development, dialogue and community engagement,” the governor added.

He further disclosed that collaboration with federal security agencies had significantly improved safety across previously volatile areas.

“Today, travellers once again move with confidence along previously perilous corridors, and economic activity has not only been restored but peaked,” he said.

The governor, however, stressed that the use of force alone could not guarantee sustainable peace, hence the emphasis on dialogue and reconciliation.

“It is in this context that we embraced dialogue—not as a concession, but as a strategic instrument of stability,” he said, adding that engagement with community leaders, traditional institutions and repentant actors had helped rebuild trust.

In her remarks, the Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Ambassador Abimbola Wonosikou, described the inauguration as a critical milestone towards achieving sustainable peace and development.

She revealed that the centre, in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme, had conducted consultations across the six geopolitical zones to develop a coordinated DDR framework.

“These consultations identified shared priorities, regional differences and lessons that should guide an integrated national DDR framework that is aligned with state-level needs, human rights-based, locally grounded and nationally coherent,” she said.

Wonosikou explained that one of the key outcomes of the consultations was the recommendation for states to establish DDR committees to serve as implementation units.

“Therefore, the establishment of this committee is not merely a bureaucratic exercise; it is a bold and practical step toward addressing the root causes of insecurity,” she added.

She further emphasised that the DDR approach would help reduce violence by removing weapons from circulation, dismantling armed groups and reintegrating affected individuals into society.

“By removing arms from circulation, dismantling violent structures and reintegrating affected individuals back into society, we are laying the foundation for reconciliation, healing and long-term stability,” she said.

Earlier, the Technical Adviser on National DDR Framework Development and Harmonisation, Paul Nyulaku, underscored the importance of dialogue in conflict resolution, commending the Kaduna State Government’s reconciliatory efforts.

He noted that the governor’s peace initiatives had received national recognition, particularly in bridging ethnic and religious divides.

Nyulaku also disclosed that Kaduna was the first state in Nigeria to establish a DDR, Peace and Security Committee, describing the development as a significant step in operationalising the proposed national framework.

“The recommendation for establishing the committee was a resolution reached at the North-West DDR Regional Consultation. It also provided insight for the development of the National DDR Framework, which is currently awaiting approval,” he said.

He added that the framework consists of 17 pillars, including political dialogue and negotiation, and is supported by standard operating procedures, tools and templates to guide implementation.

Nyulaku assured that his team would continue to provide technical support to ensure the committee delivers on its mandate.

The Punch online reports that Kaduna State, located in Nigeria’s North-West geopolitical zone, has for years been one of the epicentres of banditry, kidnapping and communal violence, particularly in flashpoints such as Birnin Gwari, Igabi and parts of Chikun Local Government Areas.

The security crisis escalated between 2018 and 2022, with frequent attacks on rural communities, mass abductions of schoolchildren and deadly assaults on highways, including the strategic Kaduna–Abuja road and rail corridors. The situation disrupted farming activities, forced the closure of schools in vulnerable areas and displaced thousands of residents.

In response, both federal and state authorities intensified military operations, while also exploring non-kinetic measures such as dialogue, peacebuilding initiatives and economic empowerment programmes targeted at affected communities.

The concept of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration has been widely adopted in post-conflict settings globally as a mechanism for stabilisation, focusing on the collection of weapons, disbandment of armed groups and reintegration of ex-combatants into civilian life.

Security experts believe that the domestication of the DDR framework at the state level, as seen in Kaduna, could serve as a model for other states grappling with similar security challenges across the country.