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Tag: Katsina State

  • Katsina State CJ: no bandits released in exchange for peace

    Katsina State CJ: no bandits released in exchange for peace

    • Requests undergoing due process

    No bandit has been released in exchange for peace in Katsina State, Chief Judge Musa Abubakar Danladi has said.

    He dismissed claims that 70 bandits were released in the state and described the allegation that bandits were released in exchange for peace as “unwarranted and unfounded”.

    Justice Danladi clarified in Katsina during an exclusive interview with The Nation, insisting that no detained bandit had been freed under any arrangement.

    The state has been awash with reports alleging that the Katsina State Government negotiated with bandits for the release of 70 of their detained suspects.

    The Chief Judge described the reports as false.

    “It is not true. The state government has repeatedly made it clear that it will not negotiate with bandits, and it has remained resolute on that position,” he said.

    Justice Danladi explained that it was some desperate communities, acting without the authorisation of the state government, that independently engaged bandits in negotiations.

    “Some communities, out of desperation, entered into negotiations with bandits without the approval of the state government.

    Read Also: Gov. Masari presents N340.9bn 2022 budget for Katsina State

    “In return, the bandits demanded the release of their detained colleagues as part of the exchange,” he said.

    According to him, the communities subsequently approached the state government to intervene by seeking the release of the detained suspects, a request which the government firmly rejected.

    “The government refused to oblige and instead sought judicial advice,” he added.

    Justice Danladi explained that a victim-offender mediation committee had since been recommended and constituted, with discussions ongoing, stressing that such engagements must remain lawful and must take into account the interests of victims.

    “As I said earlier, some communities entered into agreements with bandits out of desperation. Judges are strictly guided by the law; sympathy cannot replace proof,” he said.

    The Chief Judge further explained that legality remained the overriding concern, noting that during the peak of banditry in the state, many suspects were arrested.

    “Some have been convicted and sentenced, while others are still awaiting trial,” he said.

    He emphasised that convicted persons could not be released arbitrarily.

    “The public must understand that convicted persons cannot simply be released without due process. Each category of detainees has its own legal position,” he added.

    Justice Danladi insisted that as of now, no bandit had been released.

    “As I am speaking with you now, no bandit has been released. They are all undergoing due legal processes. The noise surrounding the issue is therefore unwarranted,” he said.

    Several opposition political parties, the Arewa Consultative Forum, community leaders, and other stakeholders in Katsina had earlier reacted to reports surrounding an alleged leaked letter purportedly issued by the Katsina State Ministry of Justice to the Chief Judge.

  • Katsina’s peculiar banditry

    Katsina’s peculiar banditry

    Katsina State has been in the news, albeit for unsavoury reasons. Still grappling with the backlash of its decision to free 70 bandits facing trials in various courts, the state government scored another low with reports that one of its local governments has set aside N300 million in the 2026 budget for the payment of ransom to bandits.

    Former Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa who stated this also disclosed that several councils grappling with insecurity usually make monthly payments running into millions of naira to bandits operating in their areas.  He fears the community-initiated peace with bandits in 18 local government areas of the state will retard overall development and progress.

    Under the deal, hundreds of villagers abducted by the rampaging bandits were said to have been freed. The proposed freeing of the 70 bandits facing trials is the second arm of the deal. So, it would seem a fait accompli.

    Inuwa’s disclosure on the budget for bandits has upped the ante in the controversy that recently rocked Katsina State due to its decision to free 70 bandits facing trials in the courts. Sequel to mounting criticisms over the controversial decision, the state government had sought to rationalise its decision to free the bandits on the grounds of consolidating a peace deal entered into between communities affected by insecurity and repentant bandits.

    Hear the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, “World over, everyone knows that after a war is fought, there are usually prisoner exchanges. If you take Nigeria for example, during the civil war, many prisoners were set free and exchanged between the Nigerian side and the Biafran side”.

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    He also drew parallels with the release of Boko Haram prisoners after an agreement was reached even as he linked the freedom of Chibok school girls to the release of some Boko Haram prisoners. “So, it is not an issue of whether an offence has been committed or not, so long as there is peace. The issue is that prisoner exchange is not a new thing in the history of war and peace”, the commissioner asserted.

    The two incidents stand out the Katsina State government very distinctly in the curious manner it responds to the challenges of banditry. But they also signpost the reasons banditry seems to be taking a very dangerous dimension in that state. This is not the first time that state government is treading this dangerous path.

    During the previous regime of Aminu Masari, the government had entered into controversial peace pacts with the bandits for the cessation of attacks on rural communities. Various incentives were offered them including money for peace to reign. In one instance, the governor posed in a photograph with bandits’ leaders clutching sophisticated weapons as a sign of a purported peace accord and eventual reining in of the marauders.

    It did not take long before the bandits went back to their former criminal ways rendering the purported peace accord a nullity. The situation has even got worse with Masari’s exit from power. The complications posed by that noxious policy must have led the current state governor to the plan to free 70 bandits standing trials under a dubious peace accord they entered into with the communities. But the disconcerting thing here is the inability of the present regime to learn from the mistakes of previous endeavours. Even then, the propositions, as well as the arguments canvassed by the state government as justification, are largely flawed.

    There is the challenge of the propriety in discontinuing the court trials for offences the bandits allegedly committed. What of accountability for the crimes they were alleged to have committed? And is Katsina State government not indirectly rewarding criminality given the tendency of such reprieve emboldening criminals to hold the state to ransom as the current situation suggests?

    Even then, the comparisons of prisoner exchange which Muazu cited are largely flawed. It gives the miserable impression that Katsina State is a sovereign state within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Or are we contending with the verity of a bandits’ republic which this column has in many articles severally simulated?

    The argument that many villagers abducted by the bandits across 18 local government areas have already been freed under the agreement makes the matter more frightening. The war against banditry is largely a federal endeavour even as the support of other levels of government cannot be discountenanced.

    It is inherently wrong for the Katsina State government to seek parallels between the prisoner exchange of the Nigerian civil war and the criminality of the bandits standing trials at the courts.

    Yes, there may have been prisoner exchange before the Chibok girls were released. But the fact is that such gestures never went down well with the public. Neither have they been able to stem the tide of Boko Haram insurgency till date. The uncanny irony is that some of those released under such deals were known to have gone back to their former evil ways with greater vengeance and lethality. The same fears are being evoked by the proposed freeing of 70 bandits on the guise of seeking elusive peace.

    It will not only compromise security but result in counterproductive outcomes. That such deals do not lead to fruitful outcomes except regularly oiling the purses of the bandits is evidenced by the setting aside a whooping N300 million by a local government to settle bandits. It has become a recurrent expenditure with no benefit to the common people of the state.

    But the step taken by that local government should not come as a surprise. Not with the recent advocacy by fiery Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Gumi. He had at the peak of the US threats to attack Nigeria warned against such attacks with a call on governments to include the bandits in the budget. So, the said local government may just be hearkening to Gumi’s call especially in the absence of official condemnation of that dangerous proposition.

    That is perhaps, all that is needed to grow banditry as an industry. It is a vicious cycle that will not only swell the industry in Katsina and beyond but also stall all efforts to convey public goods and services to the traumatised rural communities. Things cannot continue this way without serious repercussions to law and order; the authority and sovereignty of the Nigerian state.

    Duplicity in responses of various levels of government and their agencies to banditry, kidnapping and associated criminalities accounts for why mass abductions are getting out control. That was the troubling scenario in penultimate Sunday’s initial denial by the police and the state government of the serial kidnap of 177 worshippers from three churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The indecent haste of the denial threw complications into the incident, stalled quick response and rescue and allowed the bandits to ferry the captives to hidden dungeons.

    Neither the purported remoteness of the area nor the imperative for caution should stand as excuse for that embarrassing bungle. It really spoke volumes on the nation’s responses to metastasizing security infractions.

  • Army lauds Radda for renovating 12 corporal  quarters in Katsina barracks

    Army lauds Radda for renovating 12 corporal  quarters in Katsina barracks

    The Nigerian Army has commended Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, for renovating and remodelling the ensuite blocks of 12 family quarters at the Corporal Below Quarters (CBQ), Natsinta Army Barracks, Katsina.

    Governor Radda commissioned the renovated quarters when he joined Christian communities of the Nigerian Army in the barracks to celebrate Christmas.

    The Governor lauded the efforts of the 17 Brigade in safeguarding lives and property in the state, attributing the relative peace being enjoyed in Katsina to the dedication and sacrifice of security personnel. 

    According to him, the cordial relationship between the state government and security agencies has contributed significantly to the security successes recorded so far.

    Radda also appreciated the families of military personnel for their support and sacrifices, noting that the commitment of soldiers to their constitutional duties would not be possible without the backing of their loved ones. 

    He further renewed his condolences to the families of security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty while protecting citizens of the state.

    As part of the Christmas celebration, the Governor announced a donation of ₦10 million to Christian families residing in the barracks as a goodwill gesture.

    In his remarks, the Commander of 17 Brigade, Katsina, Brigadier General B.O. Omopariola, thanked Governor Radda for funding the renovation and remodelling of the CBQ. 

    He described the project as a step towards improving the welfare and standard of living of troops and their families.

    Read Also: Army foils planned attack, neutralises bandits, recovers weapons

    “This project is geared towards enhancing the standard of living of troops and their families. The Governor’s gesture aligns with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy of advancing the transformation of the Nigerian Army into a more professional, combat-ready and resilient force,” he said.

    Brigadier General Omopariola also acknowledged the Governor’s goodwill towards the military, expressing appreciation for his presence at the barracks to share in the Christmas festivities with Christian communities. 

    He urged beneficiaries of the renovated quarters to take ownership of the facilities, use them responsibly and maintain a high sense of dedication and commitment.

    In a related development, Governor Radda paid a visit to leaders of Christian communities in the state, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sensitising Christian faithful on the need for cooperation with the state government. 

    The Christian leaders, in turn, commended the Governor for his inclusive leadership style and for carrying all citizens along irrespective of religious differences

  • Katsina moves to clear N20bn gratuity arrears, introduces new pension reform law

    Katsina moves to clear N20bn gratuity arrears, introduces new pension reform law

    The Katsina state government has reaffirmed its commitment to settling the outstanding N20 billion gratuity arrears owed to retired workers, as part of efforts to restore confidence in the state’s pension administration.

    Chairman of the State and Local Government Pension and Gratuity Committee, Dr. Farouk Aminu, made this known while presenting the newly enacted 2025 Pension Reform Law to journalists in Katsina.

    He revealed that modalities had been put in place to ensure that civil servants receive their gratuities within the same month they retire.

    Aminu said the verification of liabilities accumulated between September 2023 and October 2025 was nearing completion, adding that Governor Dikko Radda had pledged to release the required funds as soon as the exercise was concluded.

    He recalled that the government had earlier paid ₦23 billion to clear arrears from the fourth quarter of 2019 to August 2023—an intervention he described as a major milestone in the ongoing sanitisation of the pension system.

    Read Also: NAF strikes crush terror cells in Katsina, repel ISWAP attack in Borno

    According to him, the fresh commitment to offset an additional ₦20 billion further demonstrates the administration’s resolve to dismantle the backlog that has long strained retirees and undermined the state’s pension structure.

    He emphasised that the broader goal is to completely overhaul the retirement system to ensure workers receive their gratuities promptly upon exiting service.

    Speaking on the newly introduced 2025 Pension Reform Law, Aminu explained that it establishes a dual-structure contributory pension model aimed at guaranteeing sustainable and timely payment of retirement and death benefits for workers at both the state and local government levels.

    He said the law provides for two co-existing systems: a Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme (CDBS) and a Pure Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

    Under the arrangement, existing pensioners and workers with five years or less to retirement will remain under the old defined benefits plan to safeguard their accumulated entitlements, while those with more than five years to go will transition into the contributory scheme.

    Aminu further noted that under the CDBS, both the government and employees will contribute to a pooled fund managed by licensed Pension Fund Administrators. This ensures that retirement and death benefits are paid from professionally managed assets rather than irregular government releases.

    For workers under the CPS, monthly contributions will be channelled into individual Retirement Savings Accounts, similar to the federal pension system.

    He added that this transition would not involve complications around accrued rights since only employees with minimal liabilities are being migrated.

    On the financial framework of the reform, Aminu stated that the new law mandates a combined monthly pension contribution of 20 percent, shared between the government and employees.

    This, he said, is designed to provide a stable and sustainable funding base for the state’s pension administration over the next three decades.

  • Katsina Govt to procure 30 hybrid buses to reduce carbon emissions

    Katsina Govt to procure 30 hybrid buses to reduce carbon emissions

    The Katsina State Government said it plans to procure 30 hybrid buses as part of efforts to modernise public transportation and promote environmental sustainability across the state.

    The new hybrid buses, which will run on fuel and electricity, are designed to reduce carbon emissions, cut fuel costs, and improve mobility for residents. 

    The initiative. which will start this month, is expected to transform intra-city movement in Katsina, Daura, and Funtua, with plans for future expansion across the state.

    Speaking at the unveiling, Business Partner of the Project, Oshi Bernard, commended Governor Dikko Umar Radda for his commitment to sustainable development.

    He described the Governor as “hard-working, industrious, focused and dedicated,” adding that the project reflects his passion for improving the lives of ordinary citizens and empowering youth in Katsina State.

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    The initiative, according to him, aligns with the state’s vision to provide a safe, affordable, and eco-friendly transport network that meets the mobility needs of its growing population.

    He said: “We want to specially thank Governor Diko for giving us this great opportunity to promote a world-class project.”

    Project Manager of Zhong Tong Bus, Mr. Wei Yanbin, disclosed that the state government will initially procure 30 city buses for the first phase of the project. 

    According to him, the company will also construct three bus terminals and 60 bus stops along designated routes.

    “This project will commence this October and will be delivered within six months,” Yanbin said.

    Explaining the benefits of the hybrid system, he noted that the buses will convert diesel and electric energy to minimise fuel consumption and lower emissions. 

    He added that each bus has a capacity to transport between 45 and 55 passengers.

  • Katsina @38: From a decree to hub of progress

    Katsina @38: From a decree to hub of progress

    • By Usman Salisu Gurbin Mikiya

    Sir: Katsina State was carved out of the former Kaduna State on September 23, 1987 by the military government of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Since then, Katsina State has continued to shine among its peers, attracting unprecedented development and establishing itself as an entity of its own, giving millions of Katsinawas hope for a brighter future.

    Popularly known as the “Home of Hospitality,” Katsina is one of the core northern states with a deep Islamic heritage and a rich tradition of scholarship dating back to ancient times. The state is made up of 34 local government areas, with Katsina city as its capital. Beyond material blessings, Katsina State has produced two democratically elected presidents namely, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari, both of blessed memory.

    With a population estimated between 10–12 million, making it the third and fourth most populous state in the Northwest and in Nigeria, Katsina has recorded remarkable progress in human development, infrastructure, and resource management across its entities.

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    In education, Katsina has long been recognized as a land of scholars. Over the past 38 years, successive governments have invested heavily in primary and secondary schools, as well as federal, state, and private higher institutions of learning and this has given millions of Katsinawas the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

    Katsina State also boasts of renowned scholars whose contributions to Western and Islamic knowledge extend beyond Nigeria.

    From having little to no healthcare facilities at inception, Katsina now hosts a Federal Teaching Hospital, Federal University of Clinical Sciences, Federal Medical Centre, General Amadi Orthopaedic Hospital, general hospitals, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Maternity Centre, Dialysis Centre, Air force hospitals and Imaging Centres, among others. In fact, each of the 361 wards in the state has at least one functional primary healthcare centre thus ensuring access to basic medical care for residents, depending on the nature of the illness.

    Katsina, with its two first class emirates of Katsina and Daura, remains a custodian of Hausa-Fulani culture, Islamic scholarship, and the legendary heritage of Bayajidda and Gobarau monument.  The cultural festivals and durbars held periodically across the two emirates is a testimony of cultural preservation.

    Katsina has steadily built a reputation for infrastructural development with Umaru Musa International Airport to Railway Road currently under construction; it has an expanding road network connecting communities across the state with more projects remain ongoing.

    As an agrarian state, agriculture remains the backbone of Katsina’s economy. The state is known for millet, maize, guinea corn, groundnuts, cotton, sesame, and livestock. At 38, it stands tall, blessed, and full of promise for greater development in the years ahead.

    •Usman Salisu Gurbin Mikiya,

    usmangurbi@gmail.com

  • Wrong horse

    Wrong horse

    • We strongly oppose negotiations with bandits

    Residents of communities in Jibia council area of Katsina State were recently reported celebrating a peace accord with bandits who used to terrorise their neighbourhoods. They said relative calm had reigned in the area since the pact was sealed, and that the outlaws now offer protection to residents from attacks by external bandits not involved in the peace deal.

    For them, the peace pact is a solution to the challenge of insecurity that wracked the area.

    Jibia is a community cluster that borders Niger Republic, and was among areas embattled by terror exploits of bandits that hindered residents from farming, their children going to school and other routine business activities. Following a recent peace accord with bandits, however, hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were said to have returned to their ancestral homes.

    Agency reports cited a resident of Magama community applauding the relative peace that has returned to the area. The resident, Abubakar Mohammad, recalled that since a peace agreement was struck with bandits about six months ago, there has been no record of attacks on communities across the area. “Most of these bandits, we know them, we stay in the same area with some of them, some were even our friends before they decided to isolate themselves. But we thank God, since they have decided to embrace peace on their own. Some of them now come to the market, but you will never see them carry guns,” he said.

    “When you go to the forest, you will see them with their guns protecting us from external attacks, especially (bandits) from Zamfara and other local government areas yet to embrace dialogue,” Mohammad added, describing the present situation as allowing for bumper harvest because many residents have returned to their farms after having abandoned them for a long period owing to insecurity.

    Another resident of the area, Uzairu Rabiu, was cited saying: “For the past five to six months, there’ve been no reports of attacks by bandits; therefore, we’re happy.”

    Also speaking at a joint security committee meeting, the Secretary of Jibia People’s Forum, Zubairu Sani, said the peace deal was at the bandits’ request. He lauded Governor Dikko Radda for his commitment to the fight against insecurity.

    Echoing similar sentiments, a stakeholder body known as the Northern Elders Progressive Group (NEPG) urged governors in the North-west to negotiate with bandits. The North-west coordinator of the group, Mallam Yusuf Abubakar, said the forum supported non-kinetic measures being championed by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other stakeholders to restore peace.

    “We are happy with the steps being taken so far. Travelling recently from Sokoto to Gusau, and from Funtua to Zaria, I observed a more peaceful atmosphere. Compared to what obtained before, there is improvement in security, in patrols and in the safety of commuters along that road,” he stated.

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    Abubakar urged governors to embrace dialogue, arguing that it is a more effective option than repeated condolence visits and military operations that overstretch security forces. “It is better for a governor to spend resources on saving lives than spending billions on condolence,” he said.

    Replying to opponents of negotiations with bandits, Abubakar argued that dialogue worked in other conflict zones of the world: “Even powerful nations have negotiated with groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the Houthis. Negotiation is not weakness, it is about saving lives.”

    We differ from the selling points canvassed by advocates of negotiation with bandits. Beginning with the global argument, today’s Afghanistan and the costs of the Taliban’s ascendancy in power is the best you could hope for when you negotiate with terror groups. Neither has our own national experience justified negotiations with bandits as long-term harbinger of peace.

    Ask former Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari. Late in 2021, he said with the benefit of hindsight, his government should never have negotiated with bandits. Masari, who had offered bandits amnesty after negotiating with them, said looking back, he never should have done that.

    “We realised: who are you talking with, because they do not have an umbrella? They are not pushing any ideological view (or) religious view. They are simply bandits – criminals and thieves. Any person in the forest is a potential criminal and should be dealt with as such,” he stated.

    On another occasion, he said the only basis for government to negotiate with bandits is if they surrender: “We are no more going to negotiate with them. But if, on their volition, they decide to renounce their violent criminal ways and embrace peace, we are ready to listen to them. Even then, they must surrender all the arms and ammunition in their possession, otherwise they remain enemies to be dealt with accordingly as far as we are concerned.”

    Masari’s iterations captured the reality of dialogue with bandits. Any peace that results is usually ephemeral,  because the outlaws use the breather from military action to regroup and reinvigorate. Dialogue can only be meaningful if it is to debrief bandits who surrender and are genuinely remorseful. That doesn’t seem to be the case in Jibia where the bandits reportedly arrogate themselves the task of keeping guard against bandits from without.

    Non-kinetic option is doubtless helpful in the overall anti-terror war strategy. But this should be by way of winning over bandit-informants and debriefing surrendered bandits. Negotiating for peace at parity level is backing up the wrong horse.

  • Govt holds special thanksgiving, prays against banditry attacks, threats to peace

    The government and people of Katsina State yesterday in Katsina held a special ‘’Yaumush Shukur’’(thanksgiving day),was designed to express gratitude to God for His countless blessings and continued guidance in the state,as well as pray against banditry attacks and all manner of insecurity and threat to peace

    The event, which brought together religious leaders, government officials and community members, was held as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for the state’s historical significance and the progress achieved in recent times.

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    Secretary to the state government (SSG), Abdullahi Garba Faskari, who represented Governor Dikko Radda, commended the organising committee and all stakeholders who contributed to the creation and continued development of Katsina State.

    He further described ‘’Thanksgiving’’ as not just a ritual, but a daily obligation for every devout Muslim.

    He said “Setting aside a day like this is of great significance. It allows us as a people to come together and reflect on the blessings of Allah and the journey of our state,”

  • Katsina govt to launch literacy classes for repentant bandits

    Katsina govt to launch literacy classes for repentant bandits

    The Katsina State Agency for Mass Education has unveiled plans to begin literacy classes for repentant bandits as part of efforts to reintegrate them into society.

    According to the state government, the initiative follows recent peace agreements reached in several local government areas previously plagued by banditry.

    The Nation recalls that the bandits voluntarily surrendered their arms during the peace talks in a bid to restore calm to the region.

    Speaking to journalists in Katsina, the Executive Director of the agency, Bilkisu Muhammad Kakai, said the state is prepared to deploy facilitators to conduct the literacy classes.

    She added that the programme will offer both Islamic and Western education to help reshape the behaviour and lifestyles of the former bandits.

    She said, ”We will liaise with local government chairmen to open the classes in phases. The core subjects will focus on Islamic and Western education,”

    Reviewing the performance of the agency in the last six months, Kakai disclosed that 68 new adult education classes had been established within the vicinities of district heads across the state.

    She also revealed that a Basic Post-Literacy class had been opened at the Katsina Correctional Centre to support inmates who wish to pursue higher education.

    The Basic Post-Literacy class,she further stated is designed to assist inmates to progress academically and, eventually, enroll in university for a degree certificate

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    She also disclosed that she had toured all local government areas in the state to inspect adult education classes and women centres to assess their conditions.

    She commended Governor Dikko Umar Radda for his support and disclosed that financial provisions had been made in this year’s budget to address some of the challenges facing the centres.

    The director, however, appealed to members of the National Assembly from the state to collaborate with the agency to establish more adult literacy and women centres across their constituencies.

    She said, ”The National Assembly members should dedicate a percentage of their constituency allowances to support the running of adult education classes in their areas in order to wipe out illiteracy and poverty in their area”

  • Katsina NYSC boss lauds decline in number of service year extension, surge in number of deployed corps members

    Katsina NYSC boss lauds decline in number of service year extension, surge in number of deployed corps members

    The NYSC Coordinator in Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Saidu, yesterday commended the decline in the number of service year extension as well as the upsurge in the number of deployed youth corps members in the current service year.

    Ibrahim, who made the commendation during the swearing in ceremony of the 2025 BATCH ‘A stream II corps members deployed to Katsina State at the NYSC orientation camp, commended the state government for its continued support for the NYSC Scheme in the State.

    He said: “Your administration’s commitment to youth development and nation-building is not only commendable but a source of inspiration.”

    Saidu also congratulated the deployed corps members for successful completion of the academic journeys in their various institutions, adding that their service platforms offers them the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and unity of the Nigerian nation.

    He said: ”This orientation course commenced on the 11th of June and ends 1st of July. At the close of registration, a total of 1200 corps members were duly registered, comprising 500 male and 700 female.”

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    The coordinator further described the orientation course as a critical component of the NYSC programme, which has been carefully designed to instill in corps members the discipline, resilience, and values required for effective national service.

    The Nation learnt that the three-week course comprises a wide range of activities, including: leadership training, Man O’War drills, lectures on national integration, civic responsibilities, sporting activities, cultural displays, and social engagements, and so on.

    Governor Dikko Umar Radda, who was represented by Secretary to the state government, urged the corps members to embrace Katsina as home away from home, assuring that the state government will ensure their welfare and security.