“I Have Not Given One Naira to Bandits – I Built Houses for Victims” – Governor Uba Sani

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has refuted allegations that he paid money to bandits, emphasizing instead that his administration has focused on rebuilding the lives of victims affected by insecurity. Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television’s *Prime Time*, the governor described the claims as false and misleading.

Sani recalled that when he took office, some critics accused him of considering negotiations or payments to bandits in a bid to curb violence in the state. “I told them that a man who fought for justice and freedom of the downtrodden cannot sit down with bandits,” he said, firmly distancing himself from any form of engagement with criminal groups.

The governor disclosed that his administration recently launched a housing initiative for victims of insurgency, aimed at rehabilitating displaced individuals and restoring their dignity. “I have not given one naira to the bandits, but I have built houses for the victims of banditry in Kaduna,” he stated.

Sani stressed the importance of community ownership in such programmes, noting that top-down approaches are less effective in resolving deeply rooted conflicts. “As a governor you cannot champion that; it must be a community-based initiative. They must own it,” he said.

He also highlighted the absence of farmer-herder conflicts in Kaduna under his leadership, attributing the success to an inclusive governance model that ensures no community feels marginalized. “Today in Kaduna, we have not had a single farmer-herder crisis. We solve this through inclusivity. You need to include everyone. President Tinubu didn’t need to come to the north to tell you how to run your state,” he added.

Sani’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about how best to address insecurity in northern Nigeria, with his administration positioning itself as one focused on justice, rehabilitation, and grassroots engagement.