Katsina State, under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced plans to open literacy classes for repentant bandits, aiming to reintegrate them into society through education.
The State Agency for Mass Education, led by Hajiya Bilkisu Muhammad-Kakai, revealed the plan on June 15, 2025.
Classes will offer both Islamic and Western education, with facilitators deployed across LGAs in phases.
Already, 68 adult education centers have been launched, and a post-literacy program is active at Katsina Correctional Centre, supporting inmates advancing toward higher education.
Objectives & Targets
Skill and mindset transformation: Equip former bandits with literacy and life skills to facilitate lawful livelihoods.
Expand community literacy: Engage Local Government Chairmen and National Assembly members to fund and sustain adult and women’s literacy initiatives.
Reduce recidivism: Education serves as a driver for reconciliation, reducing return to crime.
Strategic Context
This initiative follows Katsina’s broader effort to tackle banditry. Schools previously seized by criminals are being reclaimed and restored for learning.
It aligns with earlier peace dialogues that allowed only voluntarily disarmed bandits to partake in rehabilitation.
The program complements vocational training efforts by organizations like the NDE and CDD, which target offenders and victims with marketable skills.
Community & Political Support
Bilkisu Muhammad‑Kakai appealed for sustained budgetary support and called on lawmakers to allocate part of their constituency funds toward literacy centers.
Governor Radda has insisted that only bandits who surrender willingly and renounce violence qualify, ensuring community safety.
Emirate and local leaders back the move, seeing education as a tool for social transformation.
What’s Next?
Phase rollout: Classes to begin in LGA‑communities where bandits have surrendered—a phased, monitored approach.
Facility upgrades: Assessments of existing adult education and women‑centres are ongoing to ensure quality delivery.
Partnership appeal: Continued involvement from federal agencies, NGOs, and philanthropists is vital for scaling and sustainability.
CONCLUSION
Katsina’s literacy initiative marks a shift in rehabilitative justice. By replacing weapons with words, Governor Radda’s administration is betting on education as a cure for crime. If successful, this pilot could serve as a powerful model for other states grappling with banditry and moral rehabilitation.
