TheNewsGuru

Tag: Katsina

  • Banditry: Telecom services shut down in Katsina

    Banditry: Telecom services shut down in Katsina

    Internet and phone communications have reportedly been shut down in the northwestern state of Katsina.

    This came about six days after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed telecommunications companies in the country to cut off phone networks for two weeks in Zamfara State.

    The NCC had said that the move was necessary, “to enable relevant security agencies to carry out required activities towards addressing the security challenge in the state”.

    The network shutdown has now been extended to President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state of Katsina.

    No fewer than 13 Local Government Areas in the state were affected by the development, reports Daily Trust.

    They are Sabuwa, Faskari, Dandume, Batsari, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibia, Safana, Dutsin-Ma, Kurfi, Funtua, Bakori and Malumfashi.

    Meanwhile, the development came about three weeks after suspected bandits reportedly kidnapped more than 60 people during an attack on Rini community in Zamfara State.

    At a recent press conference, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, disclosed that the state government “requested for the closing down of all networks in the state” in order to “ensure the crashing of the bandits

  • Masari queues behind Southern colleagues, considers banning open grazing in Katsina

    Masari queues behind Southern colleagues, considers banning open grazing in Katsina

    Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has hinted that his administration is considering banning open grazing in the state.

    The governor faulted the movement of herders from one part of the country to another.

    He however explained that before the state would create a law banning the open grazing of livestock, the government would make provisions to house the animals.

    “We intend to have a law banning (cattle) roaming but before we do that, we would make provisions for where the animals would stay,” the governor said during the programme.

    “Herdsmen should stay in one place. Roaming about should not be encouraged. In fact, for us, it is un-Islamic. Why do you have animals that you cannot feed and you have to go to other people’s land and farm and you say that is right? I don’t think it is right,” the governor said on a monitored Channels Television programme on Monday.

    He explained that as part of the efforts to kick start the ranching programme, the Federal Government disbursed N6.2 billion for the project.

    Masari added, “We already have started. The Federal Government has given us N6.2 billion and as a state government, we are also investing N6.2 billion. The objective is to have Fulanis stay in one place.”

    TheNewsGuru,com, TNG reports that Masari’s comment comes four months after the Southern Governors Forum announced a ban on open grazing of cattle across states in the region.

    The governors, after meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital and a follow up meeting in Lagos asked President Buhari to address Nigerians on the state of the nation.

    It also instructed states in the region to enact anti-open grazing laws in their domain to curb incessant clashes between herders and farmers.

  • Insecurity: No regrets granting amnesty to bandits but…- Gov Masari

    Insecurity: No regrets granting amnesty to bandits but…- Gov Masari

    Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has said the amnesty granted to bandits in 2016 and 2019 did not yield a positive result but he does not regret his actions.

    However, the governor explained that the recent activities of bandits and information now at his disposal, he wouldn’t have granted the amnesty.

    Masari spoke on Monday night on a monitored Channels Television programme.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Masari is governor of President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state

    “I don’t regret it, the only thing I say is with the benefits of hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it. Because at that time when we started in 2016, there were leaders but gradually all the leaders were eliminated, that was the failure of the first round,” the governor said.

    “The second round after the 2019 election didn’t see the light of the day. We tried but then we realised that, ‘who are you talking to?’ They are not under the same umbrella. They are not pushing for any religious belief. They are just bandits, criminals, and thieves.”

    He stressed that bandits posed great danger to society as their mission is to steal and kill and therefore they should be treated as criminals.

    “The reality is, there is nobody in the forest that can discuss peace. For me, anybody in the forest is a potential criminal, so I think it should be dealt with as such,” he added.

    Also, during the interview, the governor hinted that his administration is considering banning open grazing in the state.

    He, however, said that before a law banning (cattle) roaming is enacted, provisions would be made for where the animals would stay.

     

  • NAF aircraft bombard bandits logistics base in Zamfara, Katsina; kill scores in Kawara Forest

    NAF aircraft bombard bandits logistics base in Zamfara, Katsina; kill scores in Kawara Forest

    In the wake of aggressive bombardments by military air troops which have killed several bandits in Zamfara State in the last one week, a logistics base set up by criminals in Kaduna State has been destroyed by airstrikes of Nigerian military fighter aircraft.

    The logistics facility, which PRNigeria, gathered was being used by bandits hiding at Kawara Forest in Igabi Local area of Kaduna State.

    Sources also said no fewer than 50 bandits were killed by bombs shelled at the bandits’ logistics facility at the weekend.

    According to one of the sources, a military air officer, a reconnaissance mission by Nigerian Air Force, NAF, helicopter gunships had intercepted a large gathering of bandits dressed in black clothes with rustled cattle around Kawara Village in Giwa local government area.

    “On sighting the aircraft, the bandits ran and hid in between the cattle, while navigating their movement.

    “After clustering at a water crossing point, the bandits were struck in successive passes by the aircraft.

    “Some casualties that were spotted to be struggling to scamper for safety were also successfully neutralized by the aircraft.

    “A reverse trail back to their initial departure point revealed a possible logistics base which was also struck until it went into flames.

    “Sources on the ground at Kawara on Monday confirmed that at least 50 dead bodies of the bandits were counted while their motorcycles and food items were destroyed at the camps during the attack,” he said.

  • Katsina Gov. opts for vigilantes says police ineffective in tackling banditry

    Katsina Gov. opts for vigilantes says police ineffective in tackling banditry

    The Katsina Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has said the Nigeria Police cannot adequately police the state with a population of about eight million with its level of manpower and equipment.

    Masari said this when he received the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman Baba, at the Government House on Thursday.

    He said: “Katsina State has a population of about eight million people.

    “And how many policemen do we have in Katsina State?

    “From my assessment of policemen in the local government areas, I don’t think we have up to 3,000 policemen in the entire state.

    “Let us assume that they are up to 3,000, what it means is that we have a policeman to every 200,000 people.

    “How effective can that policeman be?

    “Then, we come to arms and ammunition.

    “What do the police have?

    “And when it comes to modern equipment for combating criminality, how much of it do the police have?

    “And the same thing goes for all other security agencies.

    “They are in South South battling militants.

    “They are in the South East battling IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra).

    “They are in North East battling Boko Haram and ISWAP and insurgents.

    “And they are in the North West battling bandits.

    “Here, the bandits have infiltrated the communities recruiting young men with as low as N5,000 along with drugs and other intoxicants.

    “We must stop the culture of not reporting criminals because of tribal or family affiliations.”

    Masari then went on to tell Baba he will recruit more vigilantes to strengthen security architecture in the state.

    He said the recruitment will cover the 34 local government areas of the state.

    The governor also said the vigilantes would be posted to strategic places to help the police and other security agencies with relevant information on security.

    He added: “If they detect any crime or criminalities, they will alert the security in arresting the situation.

    “These initiative will assist in protecting communities from bandits.”

    Baba told Masari that he came in at a difficult time as the IG, adding that they were in the process of recruiting additional 20,000 policemen from across the country.

    He said: “I am in Katsina on a working visit and I will also meet with other arms of security services to see how best to tackle the security situation in the state.

    “I came in as IGP at a very difficult time.

    “When I came in, it was in the South East and South South that there were series of killings, including killing of security personnel, and our places of work destroyed.

    “While the South South and South East are stabilising, the situation in the North Central and the North West is getting worse.

    “We are going to work harder to see that citizens go about their lawful businesses unmolested.

    “Very soon, we will start our recruitment process.

    “With security policing and the fresh recruitment, we hope that the strength of the Nigerian Police will be re-enforced.

    “We will recruit from every local government in the country.

    “It is the directive of the President that we should recruit 10,000 for 2020 and anther 10,000 for 2021 from across all the 774 local government areas.

    “We are going to redeploy these policemen to their local government areas to fight crime.”

  • ICPC commences tracking of N2.1bn executive, constituency projects in Buhari’s Katsina

    ICPC commences tracking of N2.1bn executive, constituency projects in Buhari’s Katsina

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced the tracking of 72 constituency and executive projects in Katsina State.

    According to reports, the projects were claimed to had gulped about N2.1 billion.

    Assistant Chief Superintendent (ACS) Buhari Bello made this known in an interview with NAN on Wednesday in Katsina.

    According to him, the commission is tracking the 72 constituency projects worth N2,100,888,628.37 across the three senatorial districts in the state.

    He added that the exercise, which is going on in 17 states, is under phase three.

    It would check how well money allocated by the government to critical sectors are utilised, he said.

    “The Commission is focusing on education, health, agriculture, water resources, power, roads and also empowerment.

    “The first phase of the exercise was held in 2019 in 12 states and the FCT, while the second was in 2020 across 16 states,” the official disclosed.

    “The previous phases led to the recovery of assets worth billions of Naira to the government, return of equipment to communities for whom they were meant.

    “Also, about 300 contractors returned to sites and completed hitherto shoddily done or abandoned projects.

    “The exercise led to the revelation that some projects were excellently and completely executed,” Bello explained.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Katsina is President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state.

  • FG disbursed N24bn to Yobe, Katsina, two other states for ranching – Presidency

    FG disbursed N24bn to Yobe, Katsina, two other states for ranching – Presidency

    Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu has said that the federal government has given four states, including the federal capital territory (FCT) N24 billion for cattle ranching.

    Shehu who revealed that the Katsina, Yobe, Ebonyi and FCT have all received funds for ranching in an interview on Channels Television, added that more than 12 states are being processed for payments.

    He said that four states had received N6bn each for ranching and other associated purposes.

    His words: “Yes, Katsina has been given money, but Katsina has not been the only one given. So far, about 24 billion has been issued to four states on ranching and associated activities.

    “Yobe has been given, Ebonyi, and FCT has been given. More than 12 states are now being processed for these payments. We have heard all this nonsense being said by lawyers who ordinarily should be respected – accusing the president… the president cannot be nepotistic, he cannot descend so slow to do what others before him have done.

    “He is a fair and just leader, the fact that Katsina got money, one of two of these states got their own before Katsina but it is because they did not go to town with it, that is why the people are calling out the president and the governor of Benue is saying all these trash against him.

    “It’s a process and the state governors are lining up. You present criteria, you get funded. If you want justice for yourself, do justice to other people as well.”

  • Lawmakers weep in Buhari’s Katsina as bandits reign in 32 of its 34 LG

    Lawmakers weep in Buhari’s Katsina as bandits reign in 32 of its 34 LG

    Two Katsina state House of Assembly members on Monday broke into tears when they deliberated over the worsening insecurity affecting 32 out of the 34 LGAs in the state.

    Katsina, the capital, is not spared. Lawmakers said kidnappers now storm homes and kidnap targets unchallenged.

    The Deputy Speaker of the house, Alhaji Shehu Dalhatu-Tafoki had earlier presented a motion of urgent public importance over the level of insecurity in the state at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Tasi’u Maigari.

    According to Dalhatu-Tafoki, (APC Faskari), despite the efforts of the federal, state governments and the security agencies, the insecurity problem was increasing everyday in the state.

    He, therefore, called on the concerned government authorities and the security agencies to re-strategize their approach to tackling the rampant activities of bandits in Katsina.

    Dalhatu-Tafoki said insecurity in Katsina State was worsening, with more people being killed everyday as more Local Government Areas were being affected.

    “There is a serious need for the security outfits in the state to increase their outposts, especially the most insecurity affected areas.

    “The outposts in those areas are not enough, they cannot overpower the bandits, despite the huge amounts of money being spent on them,” he said.

    He also called on the general public to continue to pray for the return of peace all over the state.

    When the floor was thrown open to other member to make contributions, they shared tragic stories of kidnapping and deaths.

    Alhaji Haruna Goma (APC Dandume), representing Dandume constituency, said recently no fewer than 11 persons were killed in two communities, while many were abducted.

    Masari gives teenager Amina Abdullahi scholarship for art paintings
    As he spoke, he broke down in tears, as he appealed for more government help.

    He said if the help failed to come, more people in the communities, would be massacred.

    The member representing Funtua constituency, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, (APC Funtua), also shed tears.

    He said for the past 40 days, bandits attacked Funtua communities daily, killing scores and kidnapping many.

    Also, the lawmaker representing Katsina constituency said the insecurity challenge was beyond imagination.

    According to him, 32 out of the 34 LGAs in the state are now affected.

    Even within Katsina metropolis, people were being kidnapped, he said.

    He called on the government to review its expenditure on security as there was no visible improvement.

    Alhaji Jabir Yusuf (APC Batsari), representing Batsari constituency, described the recent killing of 12 people in Duba, a community in Batsari, as unfortunate.

    After the long deliberations by the lawmakers, the assembly unanimously adopted the motion and called on all relevant authorities to look into the issue in the interest of those affected.

    The house also resolved to hold a meeting with the National Assembly members from Katsina and also the state executive, to discuss insecurity.

    The lawmakers also resolved to invite all heads of security agencies in the state and also the state’s committee on security, for solutions to the problem

  • Bandits kidnap nine Islamiyya pupils, teacher in Katsina

    Bandits kidnap nine Islamiyya pupils, teacher in Katsina

    The Katsina State Police Command on Wednesday night confirmed the abduction of nine pupils of an Islamiyya School in Sakkai village of Faskari Local Government Area of the State.

    The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the abduction of the pupils, said the pupils were abducted by the hoodlums last Tuesday.

    Isah, who did not disclose the name of the school, explained that the pupils were kidnapped by the marauding bandits while returning home from the Islamic school after closing hours.

    He said: “Yesterday (Tuesday), after closing from school, some pupils while on their way going to their respective houses were abducted by bandits who went into Sakkai village.

    “Nine of them (pupils) were abducted by the bandits but we are making frantic efforts with the view to rescue them from the hand of the hoodlums. Effort is in top gear”.

    However, a resident of the village, Ibrahim Dan-baba, who also confirmed the abduction of the pupils to THISDAY, added that the bandits also kidnapped one of the school teachers.

    He said the bandits stormed the school on motorcycles when the pupils were about to close for the day and started shooting indiscriminately, the development, he said, caused a commotion on the school premises and at nearby communities.

    “They (bandits) are yet to contact the family of the abducted pupils or the school management. Infact, the school is now closed and many people are running to Faskari town for fear of the unknown”, he said.

  • Buy guns, protect yourselves against bandits, Masari tells Katsina residents

    Buy guns, protect yourselves against bandits, Masari tells Katsina residents

    Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, has called on residents in the areas prone to banditry to acquire weapons and defend themselves against the outlaws.

    While noting that prayers are important, the governor said it was morally wrong for people to submit meekly to the bandits without any attempt to defend themselves.

    “We must intensify prayers with clean minds to seek God’s forgiveness and intervention.

    “We must all rise up to counter the insecurity challenge, we must not seat and watch some people buying guns attacking our Houses, we too should buy the guns and protect ourselves,” he said.

    The governor said this on Tuesday when he paid a condolence and sympathy visit to families of 10 persons who were killed after being hit by a Nigeria Customs vehicle.

    He also believes that it is the people’s meek submission that emboldens the bandits to continue with their heinous activities, stressing that people must divorce their minds from the mistaken notion that security is the sole responsibility of the government.

    Addressing the issue of the incident, Governor Masari assured the people that the government was perusing all the necessary legal steps to seek redress for the families of the deceased, as well as those who sustained various degrees of injuries.

    He added that legal experts had already been consulted to advise on the way forward to ensure speedy (legal) resolution of the matter.

    The governor, however, cautioned the families of the victims not to succumb to any covert enticement from the Nigerian Customs Service, saying that doing so will compromise the government’s efforts to secure justice for the bereaved and injured.

    “What Customs operatives are doing is wrong, and therefore, unacceptable,” Governor Masari said.

    “Do not succumb to any covert enticement from the customs service, no matter what they offer or promise to do for you.

    “Whatever they want to do for you, let it be in the open, not in secret.

    “If you accept any secret offer, then you will be truncating the government’s efforts to seek justice for you, but if you resist any untoward move, the organisation will then have to rethink its attitude towards its host community”.