Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani warned against politicising insecurity, stressing that firearms alone cannot eradicate banditry. Speaking at the public presentation of *Where I Stand*, a book by the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, he argued that the root causes of banditry—poverty, unemployment and the neglect of rural communities—must be addressed.
Governor Sani noted that the security situation in the Northwest differs from the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, which is driven by ideology. He emphasized that a non‑kinetic approach, centred on community engagement and development, is essential to tackling insecurity. As an example, he cited the Kaduna peace model, which involves traditional and religious leaders and was initiated by the affected communities, showing promising results.
The governor also highlighted Nigeria’s shortage of security personnel despite significant population growth over the past 45 years. He pointed out that the number of soldiers has fallen from 300,000 in 1970 to less than 250,000 today, while the population has increased by over 100 million, making it impossible to rely solely on firearms.
Governor Sani called on leaders to take responsibility for addressing insecurity rather than expecting the federal government to solve the problem. He urged prioritisation of rural development—providing schools, hospitals and commerce—to reduce poverty and unemployment. His comments come as Nigeria continues to grapple with complex, multifaceted security challenges, particularly in the Northwest, underscoring the need for a nuanced, sustainable solution that addresses the root causes of violence and instability.
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