In order to defend Katsina State from bandits, the government of Governor Dikko Umar Radda has declared that it will equip security agencies with the remaining funds budgeted for the fiscal year.
The governor said he will ask the state House of Assembly for permission to use all the funds necessary until normalcy is restored in parts of the state struggling with armed banditry and kidnapping while speaking over the weekend at a meeting with elders in Katsina about the issues of security in the state.
While adamant about putting an end to the unrest in the state, Radda noted that the state government will not pardon the armed bandits or engage in any sort of dialogue with them, but will instead work with security forces to put an end to the threat in a decisive manner.
But the governor made a point of saying that bandits who sincerely repent before being apprehended by security forces will be given a pass.
He claimed that in addition to hiring vigilante operatives throughout the affected local government areas, the state government would also set up a special committee that would give helpful information to security agencies in order to combat the problem.
The elders, led by Senator Abu Ibrahim, expressed their concern over the conflict between the military Junta and ECOWAS as well as the leadership crisis in the neighboring Niger Republic, calling for a peaceful resolution to the situation.
