Despite amnesty, banditry thrives in Katsina, lawmaker raises alarm

Despite amnesty being granted bandits in Katsina State, killings and kidnappings of innocent citizens continued unabated.

Senator representing Katsina Central Senatorial District, Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya raised the alarm on the floor of the Red Chamber on Tuesday.

Moving a point of order on Matter of Urgent Public Importance, Senator Barkiya called the attention of the Senate to “the recent but incessant trends of attacks, kidnap and killings unleashed by bandits on the usually very peaceful Katsina State which has brought commercial, religious and social activities in the state to a standstill, resulting to loss of lives, displacement of residents of towns and villages, destruction of livestock and crippling businesses.”

He specifically mentioned the towns at the mercy of the bandits to include, Batsari, Rumar, Tsohuwa, Kasai and Yargamji in Batsari Local Government; Gobirawa and Sabawa in Safana Local Government where more than 17 persons have been killed.

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He recalled that in Kurfi Local government Area, 49 people were killed while in Shimlida village in Jibia Local Government 20 people were killed, 30 people kidnapped and 10 vehicles were burnt after looting all the belongings and goods of the victims.

He declared that despite the efforts of the state government to dialogue and negotiate with the bandits to bring a lasting solutions to these problems and a complete determination of the attacks and killings, there were still reported cases of banditry in some local governments like Batsari and Kurfi indicating that urgent action was needed to nip these attacks in the bud.

The Senate, therefore, resolved to urge the Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency to urgently come to the aide of the injured and Internally Displaced Persons in the various parts of the state to ameliorate their need by the provision of relief materials.

The Senate equally urged the Federal Government to strengthen the security agencies to gear up their activities in the state so as to forestall further attacks on the people.