Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has cautioned opposition politicians against politicising insecurity by suggesting that bandits can simply be “carpet-bombed” into submission.
He gave the advice during the public presentation of Where I Stand, a book written by the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi and translated into Arabic by Sheikh Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo. The event, organised by Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), held on Saturday with Governor Sani representing President Bola Tinubu as Special Guest of Honour while also serving as Chief Host.
The Governor stressed that insecurity in the North West is distinct from Boko Haram’s ideologically-driven insurgency in the North East. According to him, poverty, unemployment, and the neglect of rural communities are the root causes of banditry.
“Insecurity can’t be resolved solely through the use of firearms. Whoever makes such a claim is only playing politics. We must fear God and stop deceiving our people because that approach will not work,” Sani warned.
He further noted that Nigeria’s security manpower has declined over the years despite massive population growth. “In 1970 after the civil war, Nigeria had about 300,000 soldiers. Today, they are less than 250,000 while our population has increased by over 100 million. How then can anyone say guns alone will solve the problem? It is impossible,” he argued.
The Governor lamented the absence of security presence across vast areas of the North West, pointing out that in some places one could travel up to 50 kilometers without seeing a single security officer.
Highlighting the Kaduna Peace Model, Sani said his administration adopted a non-kinetic approach to insecurity involving community participation, traditional rulers, and religious leaders. He cited Birnin Gwari where the Emir played a central role in restoring peace after months of community engagement to address the root causes of violence.
“We discovered that poverty, unemployment, lack of schools, hospitals, and commerce in rural areas pushed people into crime,” he explained.
He urged leaders to take responsibility rather than shifting blame to the Federal Government. “We should not deceive our people by saying President Tinubu or the National Security Adviser is responsible. We were elected by the people, and it is our duty to do everything possible to protect them. I chose the non-kinetic approach because it is me that God will hold accountable in the hereafter,” he concluded.
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