Radda spends N13b to fight insecurity in Katsina

• Accuses locals of fuelling problem
• Arrests arms supplier in Plateau

Governor Dikko Radda has explained how he spent about N13 billion to tackle banditry and kidnapping in his first 365 days in office as Katsina State helmsman.

According to him, he expended N1.5 billion on the completion of tactical combat equipment for the state’s Community Watch Corps, while also sustaining the monthly payment of allowances to security personnel to the tune of N208 million.

This, he said, is in addition to 10 units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), 65 branded Hilux vehicles, 700 motorcycles, surveillance drones, a communication network, trackers and related working materials at a total cost of approximately N11 billion.

Radda added that in line with his strategy for community participation in the fight against insecurity, the state engaged 918 local security committee members and 9,747 ward security committee members.

The governor, who expressed satisfaction with the ongoing effort to tackle insecurity, noted: “We have drastically reduced the areas colonised by bandits and returned many communities to normalcy. Five hundred and sixty-five kidnapped victims have been rescued and reunited with their families.

“Thirty-five armed bandits have been neutralised by law enforcement agents, over 300 assorted arms and 1000 ammunitions have been recovered. We have also recovered motorcycles, vehicles and a J5 bus from bandits during operations.

“This is in addition to many we have destroyed, as we proactively dismantle this axis of evil. We have also arrested 363 bandits and subjected them to our fair judicial system.

“I want to reiterate that in our fight against insecurity, we have maintained very high professionalism, abided by the rule of law, respect for human rights, and complied with global best practices.

He said the resolve by his government to establish the Hisbah Board to teach good values and check societal vices across the nooks and crannies of the state was to sustain peace state-wide.

Radda continued: “We also established a committee on encroached cattle routes and grazing reserves to checkmate farmers-herders conflict. Furthermore, a joint Security Operations Communication Centre was established to improve intelligence gathering and assist security agencies in carrying out operations at all the security flashpoints in the state.”

He revealed that a village head in Katsina State collected N700,000 bribe from bandits to attack and kill several members of his community.

In an interview yesterday in the capital, the governor told newsmen that the traditional leader, who was in charge of Guga Village in Bakori Local Council of the state, connived with the hoodlums to eliminate more than 30 persons during the invasion.

He added that the culprit had been arrested and was in the custody of security operatives.

Radda also revealed that a primary healthcare worker, with one of the council areas in the state, was recently apprehended for providing services to marauding bandits.

He said the two incidents among others were instances of the daunting challenge of tackling insecurity in the state.

The governor said another challenge was informants, who leak sensitive information to the assailants.

Radda cited instances where security meetings and strategies were agreed upon for implementation, only for the information to get to the bandits before execution.

He lamented that some people, who were supposed to collaborate with security operatives to tackle insurgency and related criminality, were, sadly, the ones worsening the problem.

Despite the security situation in the North West state, the governor stated that measures taken since he assumed office last year have led to a drastic reduction in attacks on communities.

IN a related development, a middle-aged man allegedly trying to supply arms to suspected bandits in Jos has been arrested by men of the Plateau State Police Command.

It was learnt that the suspect, said to have arrived from Zamfara State on Wednesday evening, was apprehended opposite NTA Park in Jos while trying to deliver the arms

The chairman of the park, Ibrahim Maikwudi, confirmed the development.

The spokesperson for the police command, DSP Alfred Alabo, could not be reached when contacted as his phone was switched off.