Katsina State governor, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, has mentioned he determined to not negotiate with bandits as a result of he didn’t need them to really feel the federal government is helpless.
Radda who additionally advocated for state policing as a part of measures to sort out insecurity that has plagued states, together with Katsina, mentioned governors have to be in control of safety of their states.
The governor disclosed this in his workplace on Wednesday when he acquired a high-powered delegation from the Media Belief Group, publishers of the Day by day Belief Newspapers and house owners of Belief TV and Belief Radio, led by the Chairman, Board of Administrators, Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, for discussions on a proposed regional summit on safety.
Radda mentioned with the present constitutional association, governors appear helpless with regard to the safety of their states as all standard safety businesses are answerable to their bosses, besides the place there are new preparations, just like the Katsina Neighborhood Watch Corps which helps in tackling insecurity.
“Some individuals are saying that the one technique to resolve this drawback is thru non-kinetic means, by negotiations. I instructed the Nationwide Safety Adviser (NSA) that in Katsina, I’d not negotiate with bandits as a result of now we have finished it underneath the earlier administration and it didn’t yield optimistic outcomes.
“We ended up giving them taxpayers cash they usually outfitted themselves, acquired extra weapons and relaunched their assaults on harmless residents of the state,” he mentioned.
He added “Individuals have voted for us as a result of we promised them that we’ll deliver peace and safety and with out peace, you can not obtain something. It is vitally disheartening while you go to those affected communities and also you see the state of their colleges and hospitals, a few of which have change into bandits’ camps. Do now we have to proceed like that?
“We are able to’t fold our arms whereas some individuals are killing, maiming and raping our individuals, as a result of we’re not answerable for the safety structure. So, we determined that we will need to have some approaches as leaders to guard our individuals.
“My first strategy in coping with this drawback is that I made a decision to not negotiate with any bandit, as a result of that can give them a way of feeling that we’re helpless and that now we have to abide by their very own phrases and circumstances.”
Radda mentioned his resolution to type the neighborhood watch corps was paying off as bandits have been pushed again to the fringes of the forest. The governor mentioned it was irritating, nonetheless, to listen to some narratives that the strategy of utilizing educated locals to enhance the efforts of the standard safety was improper, sustaining that these holding such opinion had been both fully unaware of the happenings within the state or they had been solely being malicious.
“Once we needed to recruit the operatives of Katsina Neighborhood Watch, we didn’t give it the strategy of both ‘Yan Sakai’ or the strategy of vigilante. They had been recruited and educated in a proper method by the standard safety businesses. They had been educated on fight, weapons dealing with and each different facet of safety coaching and they’re well-kitted.
“It’s a well-thought thought, and it was backed by the regulation handed by our state meeting and the boys are working hand in hand with the standard safety brokers,” he added. He, nonetheless, known as for a regional strategy to tackling the insecurity as many states within the northwest area are battling with banditry and kidnappings.
The governor mentioned with the state safety outfit, his administration was in a position to change the tide of banditry which was hitherto approaching the Katsina metropolis, however now they’ve been pushed again to the frontline native authorities areas, which change into the battlefield as soon as extra.
He mentioned the latest resurgence of banditry was nothing however a present of frustration by the bandits as a result of they’d been pushed again, saying that was why they attacked villages and set homes on hearth.
The governor mentioned that might not deter his administration as it is going to carry on pushing till they’re severely handled banditry.
Governor Radda mentioned one other deceptive narrative was that within the subject of banditry, it was the Fulani in opposition to the Hausa, stating that was unfaithful and diversionary.
“Go inside Katsina now and attempt to differentiate who’s Hausa and who’s Fulani. You’ll be able to’t simply try this. We’re all the identical individuals. I’m of Fulani extraction from each dad and mom. However the bandits are solely criminals and we should deal with them as such,” he mentioned.
Among the many Media Belief delegation was the Appearing Group Chief Govt Officer (GCEO), Malam Ahmed Shekarau and the Kano Regional Supervisor, Shamsuddeen Sani Hussaini.
