By Mu’awiya Bala Idris, Katsina
The Katsina State Government has identified informants as the major drivers of insecurity in the state, revealing that about 85 percent of bandit activities are facilitated by people who provide intelligence and logistics to criminal groups.
The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasiru Danmusa, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Katsina.
According to him, bandits rely heavily on information supplied by informants to attack communities, abduct innocent residents, and demand ransom.
“These informants supply weapons, food items, fuel, and other necessities to the bandits in their forest hideouts. They also provide intelligence that enables the bandits to carry out their operations,” he said.
Danmusa described informants as the greatest obstacle to the state’s fight against insecurity, noting that many of them live within the affected communities.
“The informants live among us. They are creating serious difficulties for the government in addressing insecurity. If we are able to deal with the problem of informants, we will achieve about 85 percent success in tackling insecurity,” he stated.
The commissioner, however, said the administration of Governor Dikko Umar Radda has made significant progress in combating insecurity over the past three years.
He explained that only a handful of local government areas are currently experiencing security challenges, compared to the widespread bandit attacks previously recorded across the state’s 23 local government areas.
Danmusa listed Bakori, Kusada, Kankia, Matazu, Musawa, and Malumfashi as the local government areas still battling insecurity.
He commended security agencies for their commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring them of the state government’s continued moral and financial support.
The commissioner also urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information that would help curb criminal activities across the state.