Nine LGAs Unsafe in Katsina, Residents Lament

· Say bandits attacks us, escape to Zamfara

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Residents of Katsina State yesterday lamented the nefarious activities of armed bandits in different parts of the state even as they claimed that nine frontline Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state remained unsafe.

The residents lamented that the level of insecurity was still disturbing in the affected LGAs despite heavily armed security personnel deployed to the state by the federal government.

Some residents expressed concern about the deteriorating security in separate interviews with THISDAY yesterday, noting that nine LGAs are still unsafe for all inhabitants.

According to the residents, the nine frontline LGAs are Safana, Kurfi, Jibia, Batsari, Kankara, Dandume, Faskari, Danmusa, and Sabuwa LGAs.

Ahamed Surajo, a victim of last Monday’s attack in Wurma, Kurfi LGA, said the level of insecurity in the state was compounding by the day in spite of presence of security personnel deployed to the state.

During the attack, according to him, the hoodlums kidnapped no fewer than 47 persons including women and children. They equally rustled an undisclosed number of cattle belonging to residents.

Surajo explained that the armed bandits launched a fresh onslaught on the village at about 10:47 p.m. and ransacked its nooks and crannies before they left with the victims.

The village head of Wurma, al-Mustapha Muhammad, who spoke with THISDAY in Hausa, explained how the bandits raided the village at about 12 midnight.

He said: “It was my wife that woke me up. She told me that she heard sound of gunshot in the village. She advised me to run for safety to avoid undue attack. But I did not heed her advice.”

Likewise, residents of Jibia LGA under the auspices of Jibia Development Forum have decried the spate of banditry and kidnapping in the area, noting that the bandits unleashed attacks on them and escaped to their hideouts in Zamfara State.

They alleged that the bandits were taking advantage of the amnesty the Zamfara State Government granted them “to launch deadly attacks on communities in Jibia and some parts of Katsina State.”

Jibia is a border town between Katsina and Niger Republic. It also shares boundary with some communities in Zamfara State.

In a statement he issued yesterday, the chairman of the forum, Alhaji Gide’e Dahiru said the bandits had made some villages in Zamfara State as their permanent hideouts after invading villages in Katsina State.

He explained that the bandits “are taking advantage of the amnesty between them and Zamfara State Government to come and attacks us here in Katsina. After carrying out the attacks, they escape to their hideouts in Zamfara State.

He, therefore, urged the state governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari to partner the Zamfara State Government to prevent the hoodlums from crossing over to communities in Katsina state to perpetrate their heinous acts.

He, also, called for the deployment of more security personnel “to rural communities in Jibia LGA and some parts of Katsina State to safeguard lives and properties of the citizens.

Dahiru commended the Nigeria Police in the state for what he termed as prompt response to distress call whenever the hoodlums attack the area.

Unlike other security agencies, the forum acknowledged, the police are always prompt in responding to distressed calls whenever they were informed about bandits attacks.

Villages in Jibia LGA in recent time have been facing series of attacks by armed bandits ranging from kidnapping, robbery, cattle rustling and other forms of nefarious activities.