Group identifies causes of banditry in Katsina
…Illiteracy, poor leadership, drug abuse top list
By Faith Awa Maji, Katsina
The Katsina State chapter of Coalition of Northern Groups has listed some factors responsible for the deteriorating security situation which have made efforts by both conventional and local security personnel ineffective to combat the menace.
The group’ Coordinator, Habibu Ruma, made their position at a press conference in Katsina on Sunday.
He said the escalating violence and banditry in Katsina State and the northern region of Nigeria pose significant
security threats, severely impacting all aspects of development, with illiteracy, ignorance,
marginalisation, poor leadership, religious intolerance, and drug abuse as major causes.
He however highlighted some non-kinetic instruments to tackle the menace to include, proper information management and community dialogue, socioeconomic and civil-military initiatives.
“We must reduce ungoverned spaces, manage porous borders, eradicate corruption and promote unity in our diverse society.
“It is crucial that the community takes ownership of the situation.
“A robust literacy programme should be implemented in the State, particularly in rural areas, incorporating both religious and western education to instill moral values in society, given that the majority of individuals involved in banditry lack formal education.
“However, this must be coordinated across the region with the active participation of the Federal Government to ensure that authorities don’t send conflicting signals to the bandits.
“We therefore call on the relevant authorities to consider using a non-kinetic approach with community dialogue as a key component to end the banditry menace in the state and the region in general”, according to Ruma.
Recalling the recent terrorists’ campaigns in Katsina, Ruma attributed the development to lack of adequate manpower in all the security sectors in the country.
“The recent attack on a military camp in Faskari Local Government Area on Sunday, May 12, 2024, which resulted in the death of five soldiers and injuries to several others, followed by another assault less than 24 hours later, on Monday, May 13, 2024, an operation in Yar’malamai village, Faskari Local Government Area, which led to the abduction of more than 80 people, looting of shops and burning of houses in an incident that lasted over 10 hours.
“As at August 2023, Nigeria’s police strength was below 380,000 officers, which is insufficient, based on a ratio of one police officer to about 600 citizens.
“As at 2022, Nigeria, with an estimated population of about 220 million people, had a total military strength of about 223,000 personnel.
“This gives a ratio of military personnel to a population of approximately 11,000.
“This is lower than those of Nigeria’s neighbours, their armoury and welfare are in shamble while the bandits armouries increase by day with the latest drone-testing by the terrorists and equally recruiting different segments of people either as informants or field actors,” he said.