Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has commended communities affected by insecurity for holding peace deals with bandits in the state. Radda stated this on Friday during his visit to Batsari and Danmusa local councils as part of his ongoing tour of the state. 
 
The governor said the peace deal entered into with bandits has yielded positive results in councils that were affected by insecurity.  As proof, the governor, during the tour, drove on the road that passes through the dreaded Danburum forest in Batsari Local Council. 
 
The forest was a haven for bandits and hundreds of people have lost their lives there, among other atrocities committed by the bandits.   However, with the recent deal between communities and bandits, the forest has become relatively peaceful, with farming and related activities gradually picking up.
 
The Guardian learnt that the governor’s convoy briefly stopped in the middle of the forest on Friday and some passengers disembarked, trekked some distance into the forest, and picked some edible wild fruits that they ate. A source in the convoy said some of the fruits were later given to the governor and some of the dignitaries with him. 
 
The governor said though the state is not totally free from the activities of bandits, the peace deal has led to improved security in communities affected by the challenge.
 
“We thank God that the peace deal initiative organised by the communities is yielding a very positive result. “I can say that in the last few days, I have not received one single incident in the state from the security forces like I had been receiving,” he said.
 
Radda said a government agency charged with the responsibility of footing medical and related bills of victims of banditry had reported to him that they did not spend up to N2 million for such treatments in the month of November. 
  
He said that before now, the agency “used to spend over N40 million a month to address some of the health bills of the victims.” He also said the support being given to rescued kidnap victims as well as families of those killed has greatly reduced, adding:

“We have not paid that amount of money for a very long time.”The governor said though the state is not completely devoid of security challenges, it is nonetheless making a lot of progress.  He, therefore, called on religious leaders to continue to pray for lasting peace so that the peace deal would be sustained.