President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday in Abuja directed an immediate review of security operations in Katsina State, assuring that his administration would deploy more advanced military hardware, drones and surveillance gadgets to tackle the wave of banditry in the state.
By Chimezie Godfrey
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday in Abuja directed an immediate review of security operations in Katsina State, assuring that his administration would deploy more advanced military hardware, drones and surveillance gadgets to tackle the wave of banditry in the state.
Speaking while receiving a delegation of eminent citizens of Katsina led by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda at the State House, the President reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening security structures, including the creation of state police and upgrading of forest guards.
“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it,” Tinubu declared.
The President added: “I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones. I am reviewing all aspects of security; I have to create a state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, people, livelihood, places of worship, and recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us.”
He directed security agencies to provide him with daily feedback on operations in Katsina.
On national unity and leadership legacy, Tinubu assured that former President Muhammadu Buhari would be immortalised. “The time we lost our brother, President Buhari, is a loss for all of us… He didn’t hand over a defeated country, but a legacy of success, which is the most important thing. We just have to continue praying that Almighty Allah grants him Aljannah Firdausi and give us the strength to push Nigeria forward,” he said.
Governor Radda expressed gratitude to the President for his support and recognition of Katsina. “Mr President, I never came to you with a request that you rejected. Katsina was the first state you visited and spent a night in. You are a true son of Katsina State,” the governor said, while urging for greater assistance in security, youth empowerment and infrastructure.
Former Governor Aminu Bello Masari thanked the President for honouring Buhari with a state funeral and pledged continued loyalty of Katsina people to his administration.
Similarly, the Waziri of Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Ida, lauded Tinubu’s efforts on the Kano-Maradi Rail project but appealed for an upgrade of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport and stronger federal presence in security matters, especially in southern Katsina.