Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina States has lamented the insufficiency of police officers and security operatives to challenge the attacks by bandits in the State.
Masari, speaking at a luncheon organized by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir with frontline troops in Katsina, alleged that bandits have become emboldened because of insufficient security operatives to tackle security challenges.
According to him, only 30 policemen were providing security in 100 villages in his state despite increasing attacks.
“Increased deployment of security operatives would complement ongoing efforts to emplace a robust community policing structure, whilst addressing the gross deficit in the number of police personnel available at local levels, which is in the range of an average of about 30 policemen to about 100 villages.
“If such actions are not taken, even if the bandits were wiped out by the military, another generation of criminal elements would quickly take their place in the absence of governance and adequate policing,” he said.
He added that the bandits are intertwined within the communities so it may be difficult for the NAF or the Army to distinguish them from the locals in order to conduct offensive operations devoid of collateral damage.
The governor further appealed to locals to stop giving support, information to the bandits.
On his part, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said arrangements has been concluded to deploy UAVs in Katsina and Gusau in the Zamfara states as part of measures to bring an immediate end to the attacks in the Northwest and Northeast.
Recall that Masari had accused those he described as the enemies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as sponsors of the attacks by bandits and Boko Haram in the northern part of the country.
The governor said politicians were sponsoring the attacks to make the ruling party look incompetent ahead of 2023 general election.
