Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - President Bola Tinubu yesterday declared that the Armed Forces will deploy more advanced military hardware and surveillance gadgets in Katsina State to halt the recent spate of attacks on innocent citizens by bandits.
The President, who spoke while receiving a delegation of
eminent citizens of the state led by Governor Dikko Radda at the State House,
said the federal government will consider the operations of a state police, and
further equip recently deployed forest guards.
Tinubu, who decried the politicisation of proposed state
police, said the exigencies of security in some states will require the
deployment of outfits that understand the terrain and the peculiar culture of
the people and can easily network at the grassroots.
“The security challenges that we are facing are
surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could
have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are
facing it.
“I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look
at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones,” he
said.
The President also directed daily feedback on the operations
in Katsina.
“I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create state police. We
are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect
our children, our people, our livelihood, our places of worship, and our
recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us,” the President added.
He assured the eminent leaders that former President
Muhammadu Buhari would be immortalised to capture his legacy for posterity.
“The time we lost our brother, President Buhari, is a loss for all of us. It is
the will of God Almighty, but he has left in a good way. He didn’t hand over a
defeated country, a battered political structure, but a legacy of success, and
that is the most important thing.
“We just have to continue praying that Almighty Allah should
grant him Aljannah Firdausi and give the rest of us the ability to stand very
strong and push Nigeria forward. Not to look back in sorrow but move forward in
success. It would have been regrettable if we had lost the elections to the
other parties. There are no other wishes he would have had than to have Katsina
State intact, and the presidency intact,” the President noted.
Earlier in his remarks, Governor of Katsina State thanked
the President for his continual support for the state, which includes the
appointment of indigenes into strategic positions in the state and the
provision of infrastructure.
“Mr President, I would like to thank you very much, and I
want to say before our elders that there was never a time I came to the
President with a request that he rejected. We thank you, Mr President, for
sharing with Katsina.
“You are a true son of Katsina State. I recall that Katsina
is the first state you visited and spent a night. We thank you for the
privilege. We are here again, Mr President, I know that you are aware of the
problem affecting our state,’’ he said.
Radda said the state would need more support in the areas of security, youth
empowerment and infrastructure.
Also speaking, a former Governor of Katsina State, Hon.
Aminu Masari, thanked the President for honouring the late President Muhammadu
with a “true state funeral”, assuring the President of the loyalty of the
state.
In his remarks, the Waziri of Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Ida, commended President
Tinubu`s efforts to ensure the timely completion of the Kano-Maradi Rail
project and other infrastructures in the state.
Meanwhile, troops of the Joint Task Force North-east,
Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), with close support from the Air Component and local
security outfits, have killed no fewer than 20 terrorists in coordinated
operations aimed at ridding the North-east region of terrorist elements, the
Nigerian Army has said.
The army also highlighted that the sustained, coordinated
operations against JAS/ISWAP terrorists across the general areas of Gujba,
Gubio, Sabsawa, Whumtakum in Chibok LGA, Mandarari in Konduga LGA, Gajigana in
Magumeri LGA, Konduga, Banki, and Loskori Kura in Mafa LGA, also led to the
arrest of several terrorist logistics suppliers and collaborators.
A statement by the Media Information Officer of the Joint
Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, also stated that troops, in
the course of the operations, recovered several AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled
grenade (RPG) tubes and bombs belonging to the terrorists, as well as a large
cache of 7.62mm ammunition.
“They also safely detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and intercepted
242 bags of NPK fertiliser believed to be intended for delivery to terrorists,
who use it in the manufacture of IEDs.
“The week-long offensives and strangulation efforts by the
motivated troops have continued to deny the terrorists freedom of movement,
creating an enabling environment for socio-economic activities to thrive in the
North-east,” he said.
Applauding the troops for their determination and dexterity during the
operations, the military high command assured them of unwavering support to
sustain the fight against insurgency.
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