“Our state is currently under serious siege by armed robbers, kidnappers and armed bandits who arrest rural people at the grassroots at will and demand ransom, which if not paid, they kill their victims. The people of Katsina in the 34 local governments now sleep with one eye closed and the other opened," the governor said.
Aminu Masari, Governor of Katsina State, has lamented the invasion of the state by bandits, armed robbers and kidnappers.
This formed the crux of decisions when the Governor chaired an extraordinary meeting with all heads of security outfits, district/village heads, representatives of Miyetti Allah and repentant cattle rustlers.
The Governor said the meeting was aimed at fashioning out the best ways to end the security challenges in the state.
According to NAN, Masari said the situation was so bad that some thieves stole some electrical equipment near the Government House at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Katsina.
His words: “The citizens are on daily basis being harassed by bandits and kidnappers that are on rampage in the state. The Katsina Government organised this one-day joint security and stakeholders meeting to proffer solutions to the state’s current insecurity challenge.
“Our state is currently under serious siege by armed robbers, kidnappers and armed bandits who arrest rural people at the grassroots at will and demand ransom, which if not paid, [means they] they kill their victims. The people of Katsina in the 34 local governments now sleep with one eye closed and the other open.
“Our state is in a dangerous situation. Travellers are afraid of being stopped on the highway and arrested by kidnappers who demand ransom. I am calling on all stakeholders to come out with solutions that will assist the security agencies to discharge their duties.
“This time around, we should be able to make sacrifices that will make our state safe and will allow people to go about their lawful business without fear of being arrested by armed bandits and kidnappers."