Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina state has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering communities to defend themselves against gunmen.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Daura on Friday, themed ‘Public Engagement: 2025 Citizens’ Budget Participation Process,’ Radda emphasized the need for community involvement in tackling insecurity.
“We have introduced an initiative that will provide necessary support and training for any community ready to defend itself against criminals before the arrival of security agents,” the governor stated.
He recounted a visit to Tsamiyar-jino, a remote village, highlighting the challenges of slow security response times.
“It took me two hours in a jeep to reach the village from the main road. If bandits attack such areas, it takes over two hours for security agents to respond. By then, lives would have already been lost, and people abducted,” Radda explained.
The governor lamented the insufficient number of security personnel and urged communities to take action.
“The security agents cannot handle this alone. We don’t even have enough of them. It’s disheartening how easily we are losing lives,” he said, referencing teachings that those who die defending their families are promised paradise.
Radda called for communities to resist attacks, citing instances where small groups of criminals overpower large populations.
“You see five criminals attacking a community of 2,000 to 3,000 people, abducting and raping women, without any resistance. If 100 youths confront them, they will not fire more than three shots before being overpowered,” he noted.
He further warned that paying ransoms does not guarantee safety. “Ransom payments don’t prevent a hostage from being killed. Sometimes the abductors collect the money and still kill the victim.”
Radda revealed that community leaders are sometimes complicit in the attacks. “A village head’s representative took N700,000 from bandits and allowed them to enter and kill about 30 people. Even women and teachers have been arrested for serving as informants,” he said.
The governor outlined measures taken by his administration to bolster security, including the creation of a community security watch corps trained and equipped with rifles, bulletproof vests, and uniforms. These corps operate in collaboration with the police and army.
To enhance mobility, Radda said his government provided 700 motorcycles, 65 Hilux vehicles, and 10 armoured personnel carriers, along with surveillance equipment.
“We spend N3 million on fuel and maintenance for frontline local governments, N1.5 million for vulnerable areas, and N750,000 for others. Our surveillance gadgets use 5G technology, superior to the common 3G used elsewhere,” he added.
This isn’t the first time the governor has urged residents to defend themselves. In February, he encouraged communities to organize and protect themselves from criminal attacks.
