By Kolawole Ojebisi
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said it takes lack of empathy to join the league of those criticising his administration’s style of combating insecurity in the state.
Sani spoke on Saturday at the council chambers of Kashim Ibrahim House when he welcomed 58 freed hostages rescued by security operatives.
The governor warned politicians against exploiting security issues for political gain, vowing to take action against those worsening insecurity to serve their personal and political agenda.
“The merchants of insecurity will not be happy with the release of these innocent souls because they are benefiting from insecurity,” Sani said.
“As an elected governor, I swore to protect the lives and property of the people of Kaduna state and we have been doing our best to fulfil this obligation.
“Through our Kaduna peace model which emphasises the use of non-kinetic approach, Birnin Gwari which used to be ‘a no-go area’ for most people has become peaceful.
“Bandits have laid down their arms and markets that have been closed down for over 10 years have now been reopened and business activities have started booming in Birnin Gwari and parts of Giwa local government which was ravaged by insecurity.
“People of Kauru, Kajuru and parts of Kachia who are experiencing pockets of bandit attacks will soon be sleeping with their two eyes closed because security forces are on top of the situation.”
The governor said the success of the non-kinetic approach frustrates those indifferent to public welfare, as they merely vent their dissatisfaction on social media.
He added that while he is unbothered by personal insults from the opposition on social media, he will take action against those spreading falsehoods and exploiting insecurity.
“Politicising insecurity is not opposition and those elites who are doing so on social media don’t really care about the masses,” Sani added.
“They are just posting messages to further the political interests.”
Though the governor did not mention names, his remarks come a few days after his predecessor and erstwhile ally, Nasir El-Rufai, denounced Sani’s adopted style of fighting insecurity.
El-Rufai insinuated that the Kaduna government was paying bandits for the release of hostages.
The Kaduna state immediate past governor was responding to a report about the abduction of a Fulani leader, a nursing mother and 37 others in Kaduna.
The rosy relationship between El-Rufai and Sani turned sour after the 2023 elections,
El-Rufai wrote in part: “The bandits will be paid to release them early, and then the NSA will hand the victims over to the state government in a colorful ceremony. Propaganda trumps sensible governance.
“The terrorists, thus further financially empowered, will purchase even more sophisticated weapons and abduct even more people in Kaduna and elsewhere……that is the new ‘modus operandi’ of the geniuses in charge of our state these days.”
KADUNA UPDATE: True!! Don’t worry @realYusufTukur , the bandits will be paid to release them early, and then the NSA will hand the victims over to the state government in colorful ceremony. Propaganda trumps sensible governance.
The terrorists, thus further financially… https://t.co/J8omKCzCVi
— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) February 26, 2025
