A recent viral video on social media that spotted some military personnel to have reconciled with bandits in the Fankama community of Katsina state, has provoked speculations about intentions of the current administration of Governor Umar Dikko Radda and his strategic plans to end banditry this year.
Already, the peace deal with bandits has generated a lot of controversies, some people claiming the meeting held was between the community and bandits to achieve a peace deal, and others argue that the military men who sat with bandits came from Abuja without the knowledge of the locals.
There are also sections of people who are accusing the state governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, of initiating the peace ties, after often saying his administration would not negotiate with bandits. Likewise, there are those that have distanced him from the arrangement.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), through its director of information, Tukur Gusau, has confirmed the authenticity of the video and said a full investigation has commenced
He added that the military’s high command knew certain bandits’ intention to turn around and surrender their guns to the authorities, as he assured Nigerians that the military would engage through every lawful means to ensure peace returns to all parts of the country.
Similarly, the federal government also denied planned negotiations with any hoodlum. The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, stated this while also reacting to an allegation of negotiating with bandits to release abducted female students of Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State
He said this in a statement issued by the acting director of public relations in the ministry, Attari Hope, with confidence that the joint security task force working round the clock would get the students rescued.
But be as it may, it is obvious that the pact occurred without the knowledge of most people, and no doubt was meant to be kept secret and unannounced until the clip video brought it to the open.
Findings revealed that both the state and local government officials were not informed about the alleged meeting in the Fankama community of the Faskari local government, and likewise some members of the community.
Interestingly, Governor Radda since assuming office on May 29th, has constantly dismissed the idea of negotiating with the bandits but to strategize the best ways to end the menace that bedevil some parts of the state.
Realizing that the spate of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other forms of crimes and criminality were the major concern of the people, the governor after wide consultation, has been reported to have unfolded his plans to restore normalcy and boost the social and economic well-being of the state.
He primarily sent three executive bills to the state’s assembly to establish parastatals and amendment of revenue administration law, among them was a bill to establish the Katsina Community Watch Corps to enhance the security and safety of communities across the state.
The state house of assembly without much delay passed the bill into law that led to the recruitment of 1,500 Community Watch Corps, now undergoing training, to be deployed to various front-line local governments to complement security operatives in the area.
The governor, equally met with chairmen of the 34 local government councils, traditional and religious leaders, heads of various security outfits and other stakeholders that constitute security arrangement committees, called for their collaboration in the fight against crime in the state.
Pundits believed that the governor’s relenting efforts were indeed a depiction of his administration’s readiness to consolidate his predecessor Aminu Bello Masari’s 3-ties security arrangement, after negotiating twice with bandits that betrayed him, resolved to utilize the community leaders, and vigilante groups to complement security operatives in fighting against banditry.
The initiative no doubt brought a significant reduction in crime and criminality toward the end of the last administration that allowed the successful conduct of elections across the state without a single threat to life or property.
It was on this basis that the administration of Mallam Radda believed it was possible to confront the menace of banditry that has been centered in about 10 local government areas of the state.
Reiterating the measures taken by the present government to end killings and kidnappings for ransom, the state commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Dr Nasiru Mu’azu Danmusa, reaffirmed Governor Radda‘s determination to improve the community policing to halt unrest in the state within a shortage period.
He explained that the government budgeted the sum of N7.8 billion to purchase military hardware, used N4.8 billion to purchase security vehicles for patrol operations, adding that the sum of N2.6 billion was also earmarked for procuring hi-tech security equipment while N353,316,424.50 was used to purchase some other security gadgets.
Danmusa added that the government had earlier approved N640 million for the procurement of security equipment for the community watch corps.
“We are also hoping to recruit about 150 personnel in each local government area prone to insecurity, coupled with 65 Hilux, 10 Armour Personnel Carriers (APC) and the 760 motorcycles, will be able to tackle the spate of insecurity within a short time.
“We are even recruiting more vigilant because the security challenge in the state is more of community-based violence, it can not be associated with the community contribution to address the challenge.
“The moment we established this community watch corps, we will go all community to develop a coherent plan that would even increase the number of vigilantes at the grassroots, and merge them with the security operative after empowering them with all necessary logistics”, he said
The commissioner believed that Governor Radda’s effort to visit all the troubled communities bedevilled with insecurity, resulting in the inauguration of a security reform committee, has been notable to the road map strategies being implemented.
Likewise, it’s worth noting that while the government at all levels intensify approaches to halt banditry, restoring confidence in people becomes necessary to ensure workable-oriented programmes succeed.
