Guardian Nigeria.How to end banditry, by CNG
At least 41 persons, including women and children, lost their lives, at the weekend, when terrorists attacked three communities in Bakori and Faskari local councils of Katsina State.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Katsina chapter, has decried the “deteriorating security situation” in the area, arguing that combined efforts by conventional and local security personnel proved ineffective.
The attack reportedly took place in the early hours of yesterday at Unguwar Lamido and Unguwar Baro in Bakori, and Gidan Kare in Faskari.
All three communities are a few kilometres apart, and the terrorists were said to have shot indiscriminately at residents and injured many people during their operation. They also looted homes and razed many houses.
The Guardian learnt that some community members had been abducted by the terrorists.
The deceased were buried yesterday afternoon according to Islamic rites, while the injured were said to have been taken to hospital for treatment.
Spokesperson for the police command in the state, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, had yet to respond to an inquiry on the matter as of the time of this report.
The lawmaker repressing Bakori in the House of Assembly, Abdulrahman Ahmed, and the Chairman, Bakori Local Council, Ali Maicitta, confirmed the incidents to newsmen.
Ahmed said the terrorists killed 13 in Lamido village and 12 others at Gidan Kare. The rest 16 victims were said to have been killed at Unguwan Baro.
Maicitta, who attended the burial of the deceased, said security agents were drafted to the scene of the incident and that the state government had been contacted on the matter.
Coordinator of Katsina CNG, Habibu Ruma, said, yesterday, at a press conference: “The escalating violence and banditry in Katsina and the northern region pose significant security threat, impacting all aspects of development.”
He listed some “comprehensive non-kinetic instruments” to tackle terrorism in the state including information management and community dialogue, socio-economic and civil-military initiatives.
The group stated: “We must reduce ungoverned spaces, manage porous borders, eradicate corruption and promote unity in our diverse society. The community must take ownership of the situation.
“A robust literacy programme should be implemented in the state, particularly in rural areas, incorporating both religious and western education to instil moral values in society, given that the majority of individuals involved in banditry lack formal education.”
However, it added, this must be coordinated across the region with the active participation of the Federal Government to ensure that authorities do not send conflicting signals to the bandits.
