The Chief Whip of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Umar Dikko, on Tuesday broke down in tears on the floor of the House as he alleged that bandits had taken control of eight out of the ten wards in Matazu Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking during plenary, Dikko, who represents Matazu constituency, said the worsening insecurity had left residents traumatised and farmers unable to access their farmlands.
“Out of the 10 wards, eight are under siege. Farmers cannot go to farms. Just yesterday, by the entrance of the town near the secondary school, they killed a young man and rustled four sets of oxen used for ploughing,” he said amid tears.
The lawmaker further disclosed that in the past two days alone, at least 12 farmers were killed while working on their farms.
“Yesterday, they killed five farmers on their farm. A day before that, they killed seven farmers on their farms. Wallahi, the farms are inaccessible anymore, Mr. Speaker. We are in dire need of help, we need help,” he cried.
Bandit attacks have continued to plague Katsina communities in recent months, leaving scores of people dead, rustling livestock, and destroying livelihoods despite ongoing security operations.
Residents say the assaults have disrupted farming and worsened hunger and displacement, even as authorities pledge to restore peace through increased deployments, support for local vigilantes, and humanitarian relief.
Many believe that only sustained and intelligence-led operations, coupled with economic interventions, can reverse the growing wave of violence across rural Katsina.
