Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state has said banditry has made governing the state very difficult.
Speaking while receiving the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Katsina state chapter, Tuesday at the Government House, Masari the state is currently in a security crisis, saying whoever would govern the state after his tenure could do so only under the atmosphere of peace.
Masari said “Everybody must be involved in finding solutions to insecurity challenges in the state,” adding that “the problem should not be left to the police, military and other security agencies alone as managing the state becomes very difficult or impossible with the series of banditry activities in the state.”
He cited the example of a local government that has a maximum of 30 policemen to provide security to more than 100 villages and communities, stressing that without the support and cooperation of members of the public, “how could the 30 police the whole local governments with no functional vehicle?”
He lamented that, “Bandits are now operating with the active connivance of people living in towns and villages as most of the residents in towns and villages are sedentary Fulani now working closely with their brothers in the forests.”
The governor said, “The situation has gone so bad that local misdirect soldiers during operations so much so that when they are heading east, the locals will inform them that they have gone West on their motorcycles.”
