We Must Cooperate, Share Intel to End Banditry, Radda Tells Colleagues

•Inaugurates security intervention trust fund committee

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, yesterday, urged his colleagues in the North-west zone to cooperate and share security information in order to tackle banditry bedevilling the area.

He gave the admonition at the graduation and passing-out parade of 1,466 Katsina Community Watch Corps held at the Muhammadu Dikko stadium, Katsina.

Also, yesterday, Radda inaugurated a 15-man Security Intervention Trust Fund Committee.

However, the community watch corps were recruited and trained for two months by conventional security agencies on weapons handling, counter-terrorism, civil-military relations, among others.

Radda said the governors must also work as a unit with the federal government to ensure that a comprehensive approach was applied in tackling banditry and other security challenges afflicting the region.

He called on the federal government to support the Katsina community watch corps initiative, adding that his administration had invested huge resources to ensure the sustainability of the ongoing war against insecurity.

He said the training and graduation of the Katsina security watch corps served as an emblem of his administration’s commitment to security, peace and community advancement.

While noting that 24 out of the 34 local government areas of Katsina were facing severe security challenges, Radda said the establishment of the community watch corps had demonstrated his government’s proactive approach to taming the challenges.

He, therefore, charged the newly recruited officers to understand the value of empathy, community cohesion and cultural respect while discharging their duties of safeguarding lives and properties in communities across the state.

“I would like to invite my brothers, the governors of the North-west and other governors in the country that are here today (Tuesday) to embrace this community building approach to tackle insecurity in our country.

“We must cooperate by sharing information, ideas and resources to stamp out banditry and all forms of insecurity in our region and our country in general.

“We must also work as a unit of the federal government to ensure that a comprehensive approach is applied in tackling insecurity. And call on the federal government to support this initiative.”

However, while inaugurating the trust fund committee, Radda said the terms of reference of the committee included identifying prominent indigenes and corporate organisations to donate to the security trust fund.

Other responsibilities of the committee, he said, was to suggest areas that the donated funds would be utilised, recommend the trustees for the fund and draft letters seeking donations.

“The committee will also come up with a modest budget for the committee and to co-opt any person that will assist in the discharge of the committee assignments,” he said.

The committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG),Abdullahi Garba Faskari, is expected to submit its report within three weeks of inauguration.