• Masari dismisses call for resignation

• Central Market fire renovation: Traders blamed for delay

The Katsina State Government has approved the deployment of 30,000 trained vigilantes to the 34 local government areas of the state to complement security presence, especially in the rural communities.

Governor Aminu Bello Masari, who made the above disclosure while inspecting the first set of 500 vigilante groups at the state’s Mobile Police base, said the plan was to provide complementary policing, with a set of trained vigilante personnel, selected from the 34 local government areas of the state.

He said: “The government and the people are now ready to take security to the grassroots to quickly flush out the bad eggs perpetuating crime for their selfish interests.

“The state government and her citizens will not sit down and watch bandits invade their communities at will.”

The state police command and other security agencies in the state described the initiative as timely.

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman expressed concern over the daily attacks on his people and urged the newly commissioned vigilantes to exhibit sincerity in the discharge of their duties.

In a related development, Governor Masari has dismissed a call by the state’s chapter of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) for his resignation over his stance on self-defence against bandits.

Read Also; ‘We paid spiritualists, vigilantes N14m to fight bandits’

Masari described it as quite absurd for reasons not hard to fathom.

Governor Masari’s Director-General on Media, Alhaji Abdul Labaran in a statement said Masari stated this yesterday in Katsina.

The governor had, at a ceremony in Jibia Local Government Area of the state, advised residents to defend themselves against bandits and other criminals terrorising them.

The coalition called on him to resign his position as the governor and chief security officer of the state.

But Masari said: “Security is on the exclusive list of the Nigerian Constitution, which means it is exclusively a Federal Government affair.

He attributed the massive increase in the number of security formations in Katsina State and the Northwest in general to the commitment of Masari towardthe successful prosecution of the war against banditry.

On the rehabilitation of traders who were victims of the Katsina Central Market fire of March 22, 2021, destroyed properties worth about N1billion, the state government has blamed the traders for the delay in the rehabilitation of the traders.

The State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Tasiu Dahiru Dandagoro told The Nation in his office that the refusal of the leadership of the traders to accept the construction of the storey buildings that will accommodate over 685 victims affected by the disaster has stalled the rehabilitation process

He said: “Following the acceptance of the recommendations of the committee on the fire disaster and subsequent government’s While Paper on the report, further plans were made for the construction of facilities to alleviate future disaster, including the provision of firefighting equipment and drainage.

“Sixteen leading members of the traders were appointed to handle the construction of the story blocks for the affected traders, but they complained that they don’t want storey building.

“Now they have agreed to our plans following further interactive meetings and the mechanism is now in place to execute the projects.

“The affected permanent shops are to be immediately rehabilitated under a new committee.”