Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State says he is part of the bandits’ target going by the fresh security reports he received.
The governor disclosed this during an expanded emergency security stakeholders meeting held on Friday at the Council Chamber of General Muhammadu Buhari Government House, Katsina.
He explained that bandits in the state have come up with a new strategy of abducting only the poor people who do not have a guarantee of three square meals because most of their informants supplying them with intelligence are nowhere to be found.
Governor Radda revealed that the bandits nowadays mobilise their colleagues from other states to abduct people in efforts to sabotage government efforts of restoring people.
Radda who was speaking in Hausa however, encouraged residents to regroup, organize, and depend themselves against bandits attacks.
“They now come on a rampage and abduct the poor people who have no guarantee of three square mills to sabotage our efforts.
“And going by the security reports, I am part of the bandit’s target, but this has not bothered me at all, and this will not deter us from our efforts of restoring people because God will protect us.
“These problems if we don’t take it seriously, will finish us. We encourage people to organize themselves and depend on themselves against the bandits,” he stated.
While talking about the lingering price increase in foodstuffs, the governor believed that the situation ignited by traders was threatening the existence of the country.
He maintained that the attitudes of some traders mostly grain dealers exporting various food commodities to neighboring Niger, Mali, and some parts of Libya will not be condoned. The governor recalled that protests have rocked Niger and Kano states and Katsina State must take measures to avoid it.
“It’s necessary for us to get all the stakeholders involved so that we can share our options. We can’t take action as a government without consulting stakeholders. The essence is to discuss the problem.
“The prices of foodstuff are always on the increase, which makes it difficult for the poor to purchase; if care is not taken, hunger will enter into people which will in effect bring about crisis and insecurity in the country.
“We can see that protest rocked Niger and Kano states and we must take measures to avoid it here in Katsina.
“I was briefed on factors responsible for the problem. Traders are exporting the food commodity to neighboring Niger, Mali, and some parts of Libya because their currency is more valuable than ours. They use small amounts and buy heavy stuff for their country.
“We have a report that trailers are being loaded every day with foodstuff by traders and they leave it until it goes high before starting to sell. This really contributed to the increase in price.
“We are still in harvesting season but a bag of maize is being sold at about N60,000 while minimum wage stands at N30,000. Imagine how many measures of maize a family man with 10 children can buy in a day talk more of other expenses.
“This is indeed a serious issue which all hands must be put on desk to tackle otherwise will consume all.
“If no action is taken, the poor will have no option but to start seizing food stuff from anyone found with it. We have to think twice.”