Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has praised communities dealing with insecurity for engaging in peace arrangements with bandits across the state. Radda made the remarks on Friday while visiting Batsari and Danmusa local councils as part of his statewide tour.
The governor noted that the peace accord established with bandits has produced notable improvements in local councils previously troubled by insecurity. As evidence, the governor drove along the road cutting through the once-feared Danburum forest in Batsari Local Council during the visit.
The forest was previously a stronghold for bandits, where hundreds of residents lost their lives, among several other crimes committed by the outlaws. But following the new agreement between the communities and the bandits, the area has become relatively calm, with farming and related economic activities slowly returning.
It was gathered that the governor’s convoy halted briefly in the middle of the forest on Friday, where some passengers stepped out, walked a short distance into the bushes, and picked edible wild fruits they consumed. A member of the convoy said some of the fruits were later handed to the governor and accompanying dignitaries.
The governor said although Katsina has not completely eliminated bandit activities, the community-driven peace initiative has brought significant security improvements in the affected areas.
“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 revealed that the government agency responsible for covering medical and related expenses for banditry victims informed him that it spent less than N2 million on such cases in November.
He further said that previously, the agency “used to spend over N40 million a month to address some of the health bills of the victims.” He added that assistance provided to families of the dead and to freed kidnap victims has dropped sharply, noting:
“We have not paid that amount of money for a very long time.” The governor stressed that while the state still faces security concerns, substantial progress is being made. He urged religious leaders to continue praying for enduring peace so the ongoing peace accord can be maintained.
