The Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Aminu Masari says he is prepared to meet with bandits as a way of finding solution to the high-level of violent crimes in the state.
Consequently, Masari has directed the Secretary to the State Government (SGS) to arrange for him and security chiefs to meet suspected bandits at their hideouts to dialogue with them for peace.
According to a statement from Abdu Labaran Malumfashi,Director-General of Media to Governor Masari, the decision to meet with the bandits was taken at an extraordinary security meeting held in Katsina with the governor, his Deputy Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly Honourable Tasi’u Maigari Zango, Secretary to the Government of the State Mustafa Muhammed Inuwa and other key stateholders.
However, the statement revealed that Masari read the riot act to ruthlessly deal with the bandits, their accomplices and informants to forcefully end the spate of murderous banditry in some parts of the state, the suspects are allegedly responsible for.
“Security chiefs in the state were also one with the Governor in sounding out serious warning to those involved in banditry, calling on them to embrace peace or face the wrath and might of the Federal Government.”
Governor Masari, who convened the meeting at the Katsina State Secretariat “to afford stakeholders the opportunity to give their contribution towards finding a lasting solution”, declared that the spate of wanton bloodshed was enough, and that the state of insecurity must be reversed in Katsina without further delay.
He said he was fully prepared and ready to personally go anywhere to meet with anybody to dialogue with them on how to stamp out bandit attacks in the state.
The Governor however, threatened to take whatever action is necessary to end banditry, kidnapping and cattle rusting, warning that henceforth government will not toletate the breach of peace in the state.
He attributed the acute insecurity in parts of the country to the systematic failure of leadership which has led to the near total collapse of almost all the sub sectors of the economy, notably education.