Banditry: Red Cross can help boost Katsina security architecture – Hussaini

From Augustine Okezie, Katsina

The Katsina state branch Secretary of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, Mallam Bala Abdullah Husain, said the group can assist the state government in resolving the incessant banditry attacks bedeviling the state if involved in its the security architecture.

Speaking with The Nation in Katsina on Sunday, he lamented on the latest attacks on Tsauwa and Dankar villages were over 30 persons were killed.

He cited that the involvement of Red Cross in Borno and Yobe states which he said greatly assisted security agencies in the two states in tackling insurgency, adding that same can be replicated here in Katsina if the agency is accommodated even on an advisory role.

He also recalled the situation in Zamfara where the Red Cross was permitted by the state government to take medication to the areas health of bandits, due to the resistance of the latter that it is only Red Cross it can only allow to enter their territory due to the trust they have on the agency.

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He said” Comparatively if you look at Borno and Yobe, Red Cross is even part of state security council as a member, that is where they have full blown banditry activities there, here were are still looking up to the state government to see if they can bring us in’’

“We should be part of the security decision because we are volunteers and have our officers all round. In fact, even when it was happening yesterday in Batsari, my officer called and told me but in our own operational duty you cannot go there when the place is tense”

“Our involvement in the Security Council is to see how we can assist in providing information on how, when and what level. It is only advisory role we are going to play and not to involve in the security operations’’

He added that at the moment the Red Cross cannot enter the place to administer drugs to the people, until they are moved and camped in a particular place before they can receive any assistance after carrying vulnerability assessment.

On the Lassa fever epidemic in the state, he said at the moment Red Cross is engaging on social mobilization of the public in motor parks, hospitals, mosque and churches, sensitizing them on the danger of Lassa fever in the state and the need to embrace improved hygienic habits, adding that about 800 volunteers have participated in the social mobilization exercise so far in the state.