…As SDSes hold NWest conference on insecurity

Katsina State Governor, Dr Dikko Radda has said the security situation in the state has significantly reduced in recent times following sustained use of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in tackling the problem.

Radda stated this Thursday afternoon during the second quarter North West zonal conference of State Directors of Security (SDS), with theme “Unite Against Terror”, held at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the state capital.

Represented by his deputy, Farouk Jobe, the governor said about 26 local government areas were consistently under attack when his administration came into office, with reported killings, kidnappings for ransom, and related crimes.

He, however, said that the security situation in the state has improved tremendously due to the combination of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches by government and conventional security operatives.

According to him, “When we came on board, we had about 26 local governments that were consistently under attack, and the situation was worrisome. It was reported killings, kidnapping, for ransom, and other associated crimes.

“But today, the situation has improved tremendously because of our approach and the approach of the conventional and security forces. What we did in Katsina is a combination of the two approaches.

“The security knows what we have done in terms of support and collaboration, and that’s why peace is returning gradually.

“For the non-kinetic approach, we deliberately supported all the victims of banditry in Katsina, where free medical, healthcare services were provided at no cost to all the injured and others who have suffered from the menace.

“On the same vein, we have addressed issues that have to do with the economy, because the quickest way to transform the economy is our approach to agriculture.

“We realized the need to support our people on the understanding that our major preoccupation in this part of the country is agriculture.

“We have done a lot in terms of mechanization, extension services, and provision of seeds, improved seeds, and fertilizer.

“We have, going on the government board, reviewed the issue of extension services, and what we currently have at that time was trained specialists less than the number of local government that we have in the state.

“We are able to recruit and train 772 extension workers and equip them with motorcycles and other tools required to support the farmers.

“We have improved seeds, we have provided, we have also consistently procured and distributed fertilizer across the 6,652 polling units that we have in the state. The distribution was timely.

“Before the rainy season commences, we usually have the fertilizer ready for distribution, and we have done it consistently for the last three years, where 400,000 bags of assorted fertilizer were subsidized to farmers in the region of 60 percent subsidy, apart from the other intervention that we received from the current government.”

The governor also called for the use of propaganda in downplaying the activities of bandits, adding that propaganda is also a from of war.

“Part of the measures that we should do, in my own opinion, is that we should have to embark on propaganda. You know, propaganda is also a form of war.

“Why is it so? Because the morale of our people is very, very low when it comes to the issue of the way we say so many things about the activities of the bandits. Sometimes we overstate their approach, their capacity, or what not. So I think we should do the other way around,” had added.

He called on the SDSes to come up with lasting ways that would ensure synergy amongst action agencies, and how government can improve on what it is doing in addressing insecurity.

Also speaking, Chairman of the North West SDS Forum, who doubles as the Sokoto State DSS Director, Hussain Abubakar, said the war against terror is a task that must be accomplished through involvement by stakeholders.

Abubakar assured that the SDSes conference would deliberate extensively and come up with ways to effectively tackle terrorists and terrorism in the region.

On his part, the Katsina State DSS Director, Alhassn Iliasu, assured that a communique would later be issued at on deliberations made during conference.