The Katsina Police command on Thursday confirmed that the bandits who killed nine people at Kukar Babangida village in Jibia Local Government Area of the state early in the morning also burnt five vehicles in the attack.
The Command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Aliyu made the disclosure in an update on the attack.
He however revealed that the police had begun investigation on the attack.
He added that normalcy had returned to the village.
His update read ” Today, Thursday, 11th January, 2024, at about 1.30 a.m, suspected armed bandits in their numbers, armed with dangerous weapons such as as AK 47, shooting sporadically attacked kukar babangida village where they shot and killed nine persons and burnt down five vehicles.
“Operatives were swiftly deployed as normalcy was restored. Efforts on to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act. Further development will be communicated in due course.”
The state Commissioner for Internal Security,Nasiru Muazu who spoke on the incident through his spokesman ,Hassan Dan -Alli said ” The state is committed to the protection of lives and property of people of the state.We shall not relent in our efforts to ensure that our people are safe wherever they are.”
Recall that bandits killed no fewer than six traders last Friday morning who were on their way to a local market at Yantumaki in Danmusa Local Government Area of the state.
The traders who were travelling from Maidabino, were attacked just few kilometres to the market.
Former Secretary to Katsina state Government, Alhaji Inuwa Mustapha has however urged Governors of North- West States to jointly tackle banditry instead of doing it individually as currently being done .
He insists that no state can single handedly tackle the problem.
Inuwa who is a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party also advised the Governors to put pressure on the Federal Government to assist them in tackling banditry and other crimes in the region.
The former SSG insists that tackling banditry in the North -West region requires a well-coordinated, sustainable and simultaneous operations against bandits.
He said, “I will keep on saying this. Bandits may be large in numbers but they are not large enough to be a threat to national security if they are well tackled.
” In the first instance, there is no state in Nigeria that can single handedly tackle insecurity. It requires the collaborative efforts and support of others including that of the Federal Government. If you could recollect, from January 2017 to 2019 Katsina put in several strategies to tackle insecurity, especially banditry. We put up amnesty, met the bandits leaders,banned sales of fuel in jerry cans, closed cattle markets , shut down communication in some councils.But you know, these bandits are mobile, highly mobile. When you put up measures that are unfavourable to them in your state, they move to other states where they will be operating from.
‘’ Let the Governors come together; let them put pressure on the Federal Government. With active support of the President, they should carry out a well-coordinated simultaneous operation using both air and ground troops in the region and with the assistance of local guides and local hunters who also know the terrains, these bandits would be tackled. We are concerned and every well meaning Nigerian should be concerned too. Some schools cannot be accessed because of the activities of the bandits; so also some markets. Everyday, we pray for the end of the problem.’’
