Defend yourselves against bandits, I’m now a target – Katsina Gov tells residents

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has urged residents to defend themselves against any form of attacks by bandits.

The Governor also summoned an expanded emergency security council meeting on Friday to find solutions to the economic hardship and insecurity in the state.

The expanded security council meeting included heads of security agencies, emirs of Katsina and Daura, relevant government officials, religious leaders, traders associations, and local government chairs, among others.

The governor said that the meeting was aimed at taking proactive measures to avert the protests that happened in other states over intolerable economic hardship.

“It is unfortunate that prices of food items and other essential commodities have been increasing daily, hence the need for stakeholders to offer useful advises on the problem” Radda said.

“I was told that foodstuffs are being transported from our markets to neighbouring countries like Niger, then to Mali and Burkina Faso, because our Naira has been depreciating while their currencies are gaining value.

“Such people are taking that opportunity at the detriment of the poor. That is a great problem which we cannot fold our arms and allow it to continue,” he said.

Radda also said the meeting would appraise the security challenges in the state, adding that bandits are targeting to attack him because of the pressure being put on them by the government and security forces.

“Security report revealed that I’m now one of their targets in the state because of the measures we are taking to deal with the situation.

“We are calling on people to organise themselves in order to protect their communities from attacks by criminals,” he added.