Dikko Radda, the governor of Katsina State, promised on Friday to deal severely with any commissioner, traditional leader, or cabinet member found encouraging banditry in the state.
Radda emphasized that he will not negotiate with any bandit or gang of criminals, despite the fact that the war against insurgency is a hydra-headed monster that has refused to go away.
One of the states in the North-West afflicted by banditry is Katsina; the territory is said to be home to more than 120 different factions of the loosely organized armed gangs known as bandits.
At a media conference held in the Transcorp Hilton, the governor informed reporters that actions are being taken to thwart their invasions into the state.
“As I speak to you, some traditional rulers have been named, and those individuals are already the subject of investigation,” he stated. No one is being spared. You have my word that nobody will be spared—not even my commissioners or anyone else determined to be engaged in criminal conduct.
“We are discussing the lives of the people of Katsina, not the life of a single person. Ten million individuals are more essential than any one person, especially the lives of the village’s defenseless residents. We are making every effort to see how we can amass a lot of data in addition to the intelligence we are receiving from the DSS so that we may apprehend and prosecute anyone found guilty.
Since I took office as governor, there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t heard of a kidnapping, a murder, or something else entirely. I’ve been disturbed by this. Opening my phone might be challenging at times since I know what I’ll see.
He further stated that in order to combat insecurity in the state, he has attracted at least 1,500 Community Watch Officers from the eight frontline local governments.
In addition to providing intelligence, Radda claimed that local security organizations were taking action to provide locals with the means to ward against terrorist threats.
He claims that the state spent well over N7 billion to buy 700 motorcycles, 65 Hilux cars, armored personnel carriers, and security equipment for the Community Watch Corps Officers.
“The corps officers are aware of these individuals’ places and whereabouts. Many of them saw how some of their sisters were raped and how their parents were killed. Thus, they are more courageous to perform the task. Even the corps’ members are unaware that there are intelligent units there. It was established in order to acquire crucial data and monitor the community security corps’ abuses.
“As a result, we have established a number of committees at the state, local, district, and ward levels. The committees are required to confirm who is leasing or purchasing residences, as well as who is renting them out. This is to make sure that the communities don’t harbor criminals. Right present, regardless of whether we know a person, anyone cannot simply go and rent the house as he pleases. The majority of bandit leaders don’t reside in the wilderness.
They reside in our cities due to the tranquility. They’ll come, purchase homes, and retain their wives and kids. Then they will perform their act in the bush and return. Therefore, if we use this “know your neighbor” philosophy, it will significantly contribute to lowering the occurrence of crimes in our society, he said.
