Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina has reaffirmed that his administration is not negotiating with bandits, insisting that the state is pursuing only genuine and sustainable peace.
Radda spoke during the passing-out parade of 100 new officers of the Community Watch Corps (C-Watch) in Katsina, extending the outfit’s operations to 20 of the state’s 34 local government areas.
There had been reports of a peace meeting between government officials and bandits in the state, but the governor dismissed the claims as false.
He said: “The headlines say the Katsina State Government is negotiating with bandits, but that is far from reality.
“I have publicly maintained that the government will not negotiate with bandits but will always welcome peace.”
The governor said his administration remains determined to end banditry through what he described as the “Katsina Model” — a community-driven peace initiative that allows locals to engage repentant bandits who lay down their arms.
“The role of the state government is to encourage and support the peace process while maintaining law and order in these communities.
“Our focus is to ensure that communities that enjoy peace also benefit socio-economically, giving our people a dignified existence,” he added.
Radda said the initiative had already yielded results, citing Jibia’s eight months without a major attack and Batsari’s seven months of uninterrupted peace.
“Other local government areas — Danmusa, Safana, Faskari, and Sabuwa — have also witnessed relative calm since adopting the initiative,” he added.
He noted that the Community Watch Corps was established to strengthen local defence and complement the efforts of federal security agencies.
“When we launched the Community Watch Corps over two years ago, we were in uncharted territory.
“The only thing I was certain of was my administration’s determination to bring an end to banditry in Katsina State. I campaigned on it, and the trust of the people was not going to be forsaken,” he stated.