Peace Through the People: Community Reconciliation in Katsina

Mannir Wurma

Governor Malam Dikko Umar Radda has always said that the safety of the people comes before anything else. For him, there is no government without peace. That is why, apart from sending security forces, his government also supports community led reconciliation — peace talks led by the people themselves with the help of traditional rulers and local leaders.

These efforts have already started working in Batsari, Jibia, Safana, Kurfi, Musawa, and Kankara, where some terrorists have voluntarily surrendered, and communities are slowly recovering. In these areas, attacks have gone down, people are returning home, farmers are back in the fields, markets are reopening, and roads that were once empty are now busy again. Life is beginning to return to normal.

Governor Radda makes sure that anyone who surrenders is properly checked, monitored, and reintegrated. This is not a careless amnesty but a careful process that helps build trust. Because of this, experts and development partners now praise Katsina for finding a balance between firmness and compassion between fighting and reconciling.

But the truth is that the government can not win this war alone. As the saying goes, the battle for a community can only be won with the hands and hearts of its people. Citizens must stop helping terrorists as informants and instead work with security agencies by sharing information, exposing collaborators, and protecting one another.

We must also honor the sacrifices of our Community Watch Corps and security forces. Many of them have paid the ultimate price so that others can live. Their courage gives us hope and must never be forgotten.

From a faith point of view, it is also important to remember that no true religion supports helping terrorists or betraying your community. True faith means saving lives and protecting your people.

Peace is not only about stopping attacks. It is also about development. That is why Governor Radda is combining peacebuilding with new schools, healthcare centers, farming support, youth empowerment, and stronger local economies.

Finally, we must understand that this fight is not about party politics. It is not APC’s fight or PDP’s fight. It is everybody’s fight. And we can only win it if we stand together as one family.

The people of Katsina are not broken. Our spirit is stronger than the bullets of terrorists. With courage, unity, and cooperation, Katsina will rise again from insecurity to stability, from despair to hope and from fear to lasting peace.