Governor Aminu Bello Masari, on Saturday at the Government House, Katsina, described the two recent attacks in Kankara and Danmusa local government areas as isolated cases, insisting rather that the state is currently witnessing a decline in banditry attacks as evidenced by return to farming activities and normal lives in most rural communities of the state.
Masari, who was reacting to the latest attacks, spoke exclusively to The Nation in his residence, saying from the initial security reports he received, the attacks smack of rivalry amongst Fulani herdsmen, where one group, having lost their herds of cattle to rustling and belongings, retaliated by carrying out reprisal attacks on other groups in neighbouring communities.
He said the incident, though condemnable, was blown out of proportion, particularly by the social media and other interest groups in the state.
He said, “From the reports we received, the attacks were fallouts from rivalry amongst Fulani herdsmen. One group who felt they lost their herds to cattle rustlers went out on revenge mission by attacking other groups in neighbouring villages.
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‘’We condemn in totality what happened and regret the loss of lives. While we commiserate with those who lost their loved ones, we shall quickly assist the displaced, while stepping up vigilance in addressing the tide of violence in some parts of the state.”
He appealed to the security agencies to step up their games by taking necessary actions that will stem the tide of banditry and other related crimes rocking the state.
He also called on the social media groups to always verify their stories before reporting.
The Nation recently undertook a tour of the eight frontline local government areas seriously hit by banditry attacks in Katsina State and investigations revealed a serious decline in the attacks and a return to normalcy and farming activities.
In Batsari Local Government Area for instance, 60 year-old Hamisu Batsari, a farmer and resident of a village in Batsari Local Government Area, who lost four of his relations to banditry attacks, captured the prevailing situation in the once dreaded local government in the state, when he told The Nation, in Hausa, that normalcy has returned and that there is peace, as farming activities have picked up their usual frenzy in the area.
He said, “Alhamdulilahi, our place is quiet now; we are farming as usual, we thank the governor and the security agencies for their efforts in curtailing the attacks. I’m also happy with what the local vigilante is doing.”