Masari Decries Renewed Bandit Attacks In Katsina

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has described himself as ‘a very sad person’ as a result of the renewed activities of bandits in the state.

The governor stated this on Thursday when he received the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Major General Leo Irabor, on a courtesy call at the Government House in Katsina.

He explained that he had started to run out of patience because of the plight of the residents in local governments bordering the forests.

Governor Masari decried the terrible condition in which the villagers were living, saying the situation was not about coronavirus but ‘bandit virus’.

He noted that a Divisional Police Officer in Faskari Local Government Area was nearly killed in an attack by bandits, adding that he was receiving treatment at a hospital.

The Governor revealed that on the same night, five people were killed and their animals rustled at a village in neighbouring Sabuwa Local Government Area of the state.

He said, “In Sabuwa, on the same night too, the head of Danmusa Local Government who is an indigene of Sabuwa was kidnapped along with his son by the bandits.

“Two weeks ago, over 50 people were lost in the eight frontline local governments and the attacks were happening on a daily basis.”

Governor Masari lamented that the residents have started losing confidence in the administration, stressing that the locals threatened to take up arms and confront the bandits.

He, however, said he had to plead with the political leadership in Faskari and was able to convince them that the bandits have more sophisticated weapons.

Although the governor lamented that he had limitations of both resources and authority, he was hopeful that banditry would stop in Katsina the security operatives were armed with the needed weapons and logistics.

Earlier, Major General Irabor told Governor Masari that he was in Katsina following the report on the resurgence of banditry in the Rugu Forests.

He assured the governor that the military would step up operations to bring the situation under control and thanked him for his support to the military.