The Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, has raised a sobering alarm over the roots of insecurity in the State, stating that most bandits tormenting the state are not outsiders but locals known within their communities.
Speaking during a live television appearance on Tuesday, Governor Radda revealed that over 90 per cent of the criminals involved in banditry are homegrown, living among the very people they terrorise.
“These are not strangers,” he said. “We know their families, their fathers, their grandfathers. They are from our towns and villages.”
The governor stressed that while he is regarded as the state’s chief security officer, operational control largely rests with federal security agencies.
In response, his administration launched a local security initiative for young people from affected areas.
He said these recruits better understand the terrain and the communities, making them crucial in gathering intelligence and pursuing bandits in their hideouts.
Governor Radda emphasised that tackling insecurity must involve communities directly. “We created this security outfit to not only chase the criminals but also help identify informants and logistical collaborators.
We cannot win this battle without disrupting these internal support networks.”
Echoing the governor’s concerns, Abdurrahman Abdullahi, Chairman of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in Katsina, supported the claim that urban centres are breeding grounds for informants.
He described it as a “crisis from within,” warning that many attacks are made possible by local collaborators who supply vital intelligence to the bandits.
…’8 People Killed In Platea Vigilante Attack’
Contrary to reports that 70 vigilante members were ambushed and killed by bandits in Kukawa community of Kanam LGA of Plateau State, the Village Head of Kukawa. Mal. Ismail Isa confirmed to newsmen that only eight people lost their lives in the clash.
Similarly, the Secretary of Kanam Development Association (KADA Nuhu Shehu Kanam, also said the 70 casualty figure is far from the truth.
Kanam disclosed while speaking to our correspondent on the phone in Jos.
According to him, they heard a report that bandits killed 70 vigilante members, but in reality, the information available to him through the traditional rulers in the area shows that the claims of 70 deaths are far from the truth.
He maintained that the figure is unfounded, stressing that, until now, no one has provided reliable information confirming the exact number of deaths at a specific location.
“No one has explained when it happened or how it happened. What happened in Kukawa, one of the communities in Kanam Local Government, which has been prone to banditry attacks since 2022? The area has remained volatile due to a large game reserve bordering Plateau, Taraba, and Bauchi states.
“Part of the reserve is located in Kanam and Wase LGA. On Sunday, July 6th—just two days ago about 300 vigilante members, who were part of an anti-banditry group hunting down bandits, stormed Kukawa town in the afternoon. They fired shots into the air, causing people in the market square to panic and run for their lives.
“According to the village head of Kukawa, these vigilantes are responsible for the killing of two individuals they suspected of being informants to the bandits.
“On Monday, reports started circulating that bandits ambushed the anti-banditry vigilantes, and 70 members were said to have been killed.
“When we contacted the person who first circulated this information, he could not provide any solid explanation or details on where the attack occurred. However, after interviewing the village head this morning, he confirmed that villagers heard gunshots in the game reserve. Still, no one has presented evidence such as pictures or firsthand accounts of the dead bodies.
“There has been no confirmation of the 70 deaths. I received numerous calls from media organisations seeking clarification on the number of casualties. We have shared the information, but no evidence supports that 70 deaths were recorded.
Kanam also maintained that the area is notorious, and no one is eager to investigate further due to its vast and dangerous terrain. These bandits operate freely, even in broad daylight, coming into towns and making purchases with guns hanging over their shoulders. There is no security presence in the area, which is crucial for agriculture in the Kanam and Wase Local Government areas.
He spoke about the area’s security, “We have raised our concerns and called for government intervention to ensure some form of security presence.
“My appeal to the government is simple. The government must take control of this ungoverned space. A special operation should be conducted to flush out the bandits, who have been entrenched in this area for over three to four years”.
“The surrounding communities will tell you the extent of the operations of the bandits and the challenges they faced. The bandits have essentially taken over the entire game reserve, which has existed since the colonial era.
Kanam lamented that they are in grave danger as farmers have been severely affected, and many people have fled the area.
“Since January this year, no serious attention has been given to our plight, especially in this part of Plateau State. The terrain is treacherous, with no road networks or reliable communication infrastructure. This has made accessing information from that area extremely difficult, he said.
It would be recalled that an earlier report had it that 70 vigilantes had been ambushed and killed in a clash between bandits around Kukawa and Bunyun Communities of Kanam local government area of Plateau state.
Residents of the area alleged that the incident occurred around 2 pm on Sunday when hundreds of vigilantes from the Wase local government area were on their way to bandits’ hideouts. They were suddenly ambushed and killed.
Chairman of the vigilante group in Kukawa, Aliyu Baffa, told our correspondent that “more than 70 vigilantes were killed” in the ambush, adding that more bodies could be recovered in the bush.
According to the vigilante chairman, the clash occurred just a kilometre away from the main Kukawa town, when bandits ambushed the vigilantes as they were heading to their hideout, located in the government reserve forest popularly known as Madam forest, which shares a border with Bauchi and Taraba communities.
Baffa further alleged that several vigilante bodies were recovered from farm lands after the clash, saying, “We have buried more than 60 in Kukawa alone. More bodies could likely be recovered from either side. Some vigilantes who escaped confirmed that they were overwhelmed by the bandits.”
Musa Ibrahim, a resident of Bunyun, Nyalun ward, Bashar district, Wase Local Government Area, also confirmed that the bandits attacked the community and killed ten vigilantes who were providing security in the area, adding that they also burned many houses in the community.
Efforts to contact the OPSH Media and Information Officer, Major Samson Zhakom, and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Plateau State command, DSP Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful. While filling this report, they did not pick up their calls when our correspondent called for confirmation.
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