Hunger forcing bandits to attack communities – Gov. Masari

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has raised the alarm about the relocation of hungry bandits, driven to the fringes, to communities to steal farm products ahead of the upcoming harvest season

Masari raised the alarm at a consultative briefing with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The briefing was held in Katsina on Tuesday on the security situation in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the briefing was attended by heads of security agencies in the state, traditional rulers, political and religious leaders, civil society groups and other stakeholders.

Masari said: “Because of hunger, bandits are moving towards communities around the forest area.

“They know that harvest time is approaching and their plan is to harvest crops and steal food items planted by farmers.”

The governor said bandits had been driven to the fringes in the state as a result of measures put in place, including suspension of mobile telecommunication networks and ban of sale of petroleum products in many filling stations.

He charged the security chiefs, who were in attendance at the briefing, to wake up to the call and deal decisively with the criminals, reiterating his position not to negotiate with bandits whom he described as criminals who were neither fighting for a religious or ideological cause.

Masari disclosed that the states mostly affected by banditry had resolved to engage no fewer than 3,000 hunters and vigilantes who would be trained by the Police to protect communities.

He said Katsina would recruit 500 hunters and vigilante, 250 each from Katsina and Daura Emirates, to protect communities from bandit attacks, explaining that the hunters and vigilantes would be stationed permanently in the communities to protect people and their property.

Specifically, he said after the military efforts, the hunters vigilante members would continue to protect the communities, commending the synergy between security agencies deployed to the state which, he noted, aided the successes recorded against the bandits.

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Kabir Usman, commended the Governor for the innovative ways in containing the insecurity in the state.

The traditional ruler, who said he was against dialogue and negotiation with bandits enjoined Mohammed to sustain the initiative of providing a positive narrative on the fight against insecurity in the country.

The Emir, who kicked against negotiations and dialogue with bandits as well as payment of ransom, called on security forces to step up military campaign against the criminals.