More than half of Katsina LGAs seized by bandits – Group says

Monday, August 25, 2025 - Indigenes of Katsina State, under the Katsina Security Community Initiative (KSCI), have urged both federal and state governments to adopt a new approach to end the wave of banditry devastating the state.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday in Abuja, KSCI Coordinator, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, said the unabating killings, kidnappings, and displacement of communities were clear signs that current strategies had failed. He stressed the need for a hybrid model combining military action with dialogue and community-led responses.

Kurfi warned that more than half of Katsina’s local government areas were under the influence of bandits, leaving many leaders unable to live in their own communities. He added that worsening poverty was pushing more youths into the ranks of armed groups.

Stakeholders at the meeting — including retired generals, serving officers, academics, traditional rulers, and community leaders — pledged to act as a pressure group to push for reforms.

In Safana LGA, Chairman Abdullahi Sani Safana reported that dialogue brokered by community and religious leaders had brought four weeks of relative peace, but he noted that failure of neighbouring LGAs to adopt similar measures was undermining progress.

Kurfi LGA Chairman Babangoda Abdullahi cautioned against collaboration with bandits, revealing that some community members provide fuel, food, and intelligence. “This shows how deeply communities are involved in sustaining banditry,” he said.

Prof. Usman Yusuf Bugaje described the meeting as a turning point, lamenting that elites had remained silent while atrocities worsened. “We, the elites, are now IDPs in Abuja, unable to return to our villages,” he said, calling for wider advocacy and international attention.

Other speakers, including Munir Ahmad and Bashir Nadabo, stressed that economic neglect and weak local security structures had worsened the crisis, urging empowerment of vigilante groups who understand the terrain and psyche of the criminals.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army announced plans to establish a new battalion in Malumfashi LGA to strengthen operations against banditry. The decision followed a meeting between Katsina lawmakers and the Service Chiefs in Abuja.

Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said the lawmakers had appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deploy additional military assets and resources to restore peace in the state.