By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

Katsina Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Monday said almost all the bandits terrorising his state are from Zamfara.

He called on security agencies to do more to address the situation.

The governor spoke with reporters in his Kafur country home after inspecting a land earmarked for an airstrip in Funtua by the Nigeria Air force.

According to him, the three major local government areas: Sabwa, Dandume and Faskari, which share common boundaries with Zamfara, are the epicentre of bandit activities.

Masari said the bandits kill, kidnap and rape innocent Katsina citizens before moving to their enclaves in nearby Zamfara forests.

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He said: “The nefarious activities of bandits from Zamfara has truncated the efforts of my administration to restore normalcy in the state.

“The only places that we are having problems are Faskari, Sabwa and Dandume local governments, but there is relative peace in the other local government areas, especially Jibia, Batsari, Safana and Danmusa.

“From the reports I receive every morning, if you find any case of rustling or kidnapping, it is mostly around Faskari, Sabwa and Dandume.

“We have been complaining to the military authorities to take full control of Gurbi-Gidan Jaja-Kaura Namoda areas of Zamfara State.

“Unless security is fully reinforced in these areas, being the danger zone where most of the bandits live and move freely, we cannot secure Katsina without security in Zamfara, because 99 per cent of all the attacks and kidnappings happening in Katsina are from Zamfara.”

The governor praised the Air Force for citing the Air Strip in Funtua, saying it will help to tackle banditry.