BANDITRY: Gov Masari laments, says only 30 policemen securing 100 villages 

The governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari has called for the deployment of more security apparatus to end the activities of bandits in the state.

The governor, who decried the insufficiency of security officers in the state, lamented that only 30 policemen had been providing security in 100 villages in Katsina.

He spoke during the weekend at a luncheon put together by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to celebrate Eid-El-Kabir with frontline troops in Katsina.

Masari said, “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.

READ ALSO: Katsina gov, Masari, admits failure in protecting his domain against bandits

“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.”

The governor urged the locals to support the government’s efforts to end killings and other criminal activities of bandits, adding that they should desist from giving information to the criminals.

According to Masari, the bandits are intertwined within the communities, and this, he said, would make it difficult for the NAF or the army to distinguish them from the locals in order to carry out offensive operations that would not lead to collateral damage.

In his remarks during the luncheon, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said that plans had been concluded to deploy UAVs in Katsina and Gusau in the Zamfara states as part of efforts to end security issues in the North-West and North-East.

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