Masari: Bandits attack 10 Katsina councils daily

By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari has said 10 of the 34 local government areas in the state are under severe bandits’ attacks daily.

He said no day passed without the state recording at least two bandits’ attacks.

The governor spoke yesterday when he hosted the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya at the Government House in Katsina.

Masari said his administration was unhappy about the security situation in the state, adding that the calamitous situation needed to end.

“Ten out of the 34 local government areas are under attacks daily. We as a government are canvassing inclusiveness, creating three-tier security structures. We have restored the roles of traditional rulers in our security architecture,” he said.

The governor noted that security is a collective responsibility, not only for the security agencies.

He described the insecurity in his state as alarming, saying it was deteriorating with kidnapping, raping of innocent women and armed robbery on the highways.

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Masari added that the situation was giving him sleepless nights and affecting his administration’s efforts at restoring peace and normalcy in the state.

He said: “We here in Katsina, if we say we are very happy, we are not being honest. We are disturbed by this issue of banditry accompanied with kidnaping, raping of innocent women. I want technology to be properly deployed to really bring banditry under control.”

To stem the tide, the governor said, his administration had amended the local government laws and created a three-tier security structure to restore the roles of traditional, religious, youths and women leaders in fighting insecurity across the state.

Yahaya expressed appreciation to the state government for providing logistics support to the Army.

The COAS said he was in the state to visit military formations and to interact with the troops on their operational challenges and circumstances.

He said: “We thank His Excellency for his steady support to the military in terms of logistics and equipment, being a Chief Executive Officer who knows it all and feels the pinch.”