Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has revealed disturbing details about a community leader’s involvement in a deadly bandit attack that claimed the lives of over thirty people.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Daura on Friday, September 6, Governor Radda recounted how a representative of a village head accepted a bribe from bandits, enabling them to carry out the massacre.
“There was a representative of the village head who collected N700,000 from bandits and allowed them to enter his area and killed about 30 people,” Governor Radda disclosed.
He further revealed that women were arrested, and a teacher was found serving as an informant for the criminals, indicating that various segments of society were complicit in the act.
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The governor expressed deep concern over the growing collaboration between local residents and bandits, which has exacerbated the security challenges in the state. He appealed to the residents of each community to work closely with security agents to put an end to such attacks.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, Governor Radda announced a new initiative aimed at empowering communities to defend themselves against bandits. “We have come up with an initiative that for any community ready to defend itself, we will give them necessary support and training to engage criminals before the arrival of the security agents,” he said.
The governor highlighted the challenges faced by remote communities in receiving timely assistance from security forces. He recounted his visit to the village of Tsamiyar-jino, where it took him two hours to reach the village from the main road, illustrating the difficulties in responding to bandit attacks in such isolated areas.
Governor Radda stressed that the security agencies alone cannot tackle the banditry crisis, citing a shortage of personnel and resources. He called on communities to take a more proactive stance in defending themselves, emphasizing that collective action could prevent further loss of life.
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“I am surprised at the way we are dying in such a humiliating manner,” the governor lamented. He urged residents to resist the bandits, noting that the payment of ransoms often fails to ensure the safety of hostages. “Paying ransom doesn’t even prevent a hostage from being killed by abductors. Sometimes they collect the money and kill the victim,” he warned.
Governor Radda’s remarks come as Katsina State continues to grapple with the relentless threat of banditry, which has left many communities devastated. His call for community-driven defense initiatives reflects the growing urgency to find solutions to the escalating violence in the region.