The Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, has disclosed that a good majority of terrorists operating in the state are indigenes of the state.
According to him, most of the criminals are locals of the area whose parents and other relatives are well-known.
Naijaonpoint reports that Governor Radda made the disclosure on Tuesday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
He also lamented that Governors, as chief security officers of their states, do not have control over the army and the police, as the security outfits operate independently.
He added that as part of efforts to curb banditry in Katsina, the state government set up a local outfit composed of youths drawn from areas affected by banditry and very familiar with the area.
“These boys know the terrain better, they know those people better.
“Most of the perpetrators of these banditry are from our own area. They are not aliens. Ninety-something percent of them, we know their fathers, their grandfathers, and they are living with us,” he stated.
Radda emphasized that despite the challenges, the government is not giving up in the task of fighting criminality to a standstill and keeping the people safe.
“So this situation requires local involvement, and that was why we created this outfit, so that people at the local level can provide us with information.
“They can lead the fight to the enclaves of the bandits because they know the terrain better, and they can fish out informants living among us, giving information to the bandits and those that provide logistic support to the bandits.
“Without unbundling that, you would not be able to fight insecurity successfully,” the Governor added.