Peace is gradually returning to some troubled front-line local government areas of Katsina State, as residents lauded the giant stride initiative of Governor Umar Dikko Radda, for establishing Community Watch Corps (CWC) that is instrumental in curbing activities of banditry.
Facts show that the menace of banditry has been reduced by 60 per cent, especially the activities of informants who have been coordinated partners of the bandits carrying their nefarious attacks on communities across the state.
I gathered that since the launch of the CWC in October, informants of bandits have been on the run, particularly when the CWC began its offensive in various communities.
Though they had a few twists in their operation, like the tragic killing of former caretaker chairman, Hamza Abdullahi in the Zakka community of Safana local government area, for allegedly being an informant to the bandits in the area.
But residents of the community and other citizens of the state are applauding the state government for the formation of the corps, who according to them, are complementing the security operative to return normalcy to the state.
Yakubu Abubakar a resident of Zakka has disclosed that the CWC have been displaying capacity and support for the state government’s initiative in curbing security in the state.
He said, ” I’m fully aware of the mess we suffered daily before their arrival in our community. We are now better with the presence of the CWC. We are sleeping with two eyes closed.
“We want to thank Governor Malam Dikko Radda for having the courage to establish the corps.”
The chairman of Safana local government area, Muhammed Kabir, has also confirmed the improvement of the security situation in the area since the deployment of the CWC.
“Before the inception of this government, we were facing challenges of banditry, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom. The situation has improved especially when the CWC passed out. They are now working with the sister security operatives. Our roads have been opened and towns are now free, as people move about without fear of kidnap or bandit attack,” he said.
On his part, the chairman of CWC, Rtd Major Gen. Jinaidu Sani Bindawa, while speaking at the Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic Annual Public lecture recently, said they are succeeding in the operation, adding that they have degraded the activities of informants in the state.
