Some bandits who turned away from their crimes have told Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari that some soldiers and policemen are fueling banditry and kidnapping in the state in return for monetary gain.
They warned that unless the security operatives stopped their activities and extortion of money and cattle from them, the situation in the state would not change.
The bandit groups spoke during a dialogue session with the governor at Gbagegi Primary School, Dankolo in Dandume local government area of Katsina State.
The repentant bandits who met with the governor were drawn from two of the local government areas in the state – Dandume and Sabuwa – worst affected by banditry.
The state has been under relentless banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping forcing Governor Masari to initiate the dialogue with bandits.
Leader of one group of bandits, Idris Yayande ,told the governor that large scale extortion perpetrated by the security operatives had seriously undermined the efforts of government to address the security challenges.
