Abdullahi Muhammed
Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state said efforts are being made to bring the issue of banditry and other criminal activities in the North-West region to an end.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents after a close-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, Masari said government would not allow the situation to escalate to something like the Boko Haram menace in the North-Eastern part of the country.
“Currently the military is in Katsina for their annual super camp so over 2000 of them are gathered in Katsina in order to really send a signal to the bandits that the military is ready and willing and they have the capacity to deal with the situation.
“The hope is that the military including the police and other security agencies have been given a marching order by the President to control the situation by all means and it is a task that must be done because we cannot allow the situation in the North-West to develop to a worrisome stage like it is in the North-East.
“The Katsina State governor said people living in the rural communities will testify that actions are on-going and the displaced persons are being taken care of,” he said.
He said although the rainy season has set in and can pose a challenge to the fight against bandits, government is determined to conquer them.
“You know, the North-West and North-Central parts of the country where these bandits are is a vast forest area and unfriendly terrain, so especially now during the rainy season, moving with heavy military equipment can be very challenging, because the soil is soft and the rains are heavy but it is doable.
“No situation is impossible especially to a willing and determined mind, so I do believe that we can conquer these bandits and stop them from hibernating into something else,” he said.
He said state governments in the affected zone are waiting for the military to take total control of the forests and other affected areas before they can roll out plans for the people affected by banditry.
He said criminal activities would not affect agricultural activities in Katsina state, stressing that the state government and farmers are expecting a bumper harvest this year.
The governor said he was in the State House to bring Eid-El Kabir greetings to President Buhari, on behalf of the citizens of Katsina state since the President could not travel home for the sallah festivities due to COVID-19 pandemic.