The Katsina State Government has urged the Federal Government to hasten action on security measures to enable farmers to access their farmlands.
The state governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari, made the call on Thursday in Katsina when a delegation from Defence Headquarters, Abuja, visited the state on fact-finding over security challenges in the state.
Masari, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, said that the call was imperative in view of the recent banditry attacks across the state.
He said: “When we came in, we did our best to make the state peaceful, but Katsina is not an island; it is bounded by other unsecured places like Zamfara and Kaduna States.
“So, the relative peace we were enjoying was jeopardize by the non-peace in our neighbouring states; then gradually, all the efforts that we have made came to no avail.
“The latest was the sad incident that happened in Batsari when the corpses were brought to the governor and the Emir.
“There is urgent need to bring back peace in the state.
“As we all know, rainy season is already on and our people need to go and plant crops in their farmlands. If we do not get them back into their farmlands, there will be problem of food insecurity.
“If the situation is not handled urgently, forest will not be accessible by farmers in this rainy season.”
Earlier, the leader of the team, Maj.-Gen. B.I. Ahonotu, had commiserated with the state government over the attacks and casualties in the state.
Ahonotu, who said that he was representing the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, said “it is pathetic, horrifying and terrible, but we are doing everything possible to save the situation”.
He said that the team was in the state on fact-finding mission to ascertain what the issues were and report back.
He said that they had listened to various security officials in the state before moving to the Government House for more information on the situation.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that many farmers were killed by suspected bandits in their farmlands in Batsari, Danmusa and Faskari Local Government Areas on Tuesday.
No fewer than 18 corpses of the persons killed in the attacks were buried on Wednesday.
