From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
Worried by worsening insecurity in some parts of the state, the Katsina State Government has organised a special prayer session seeking divine intervention.
The prayers, which took place barely 24 hours after Governor Dikko Radda led elders on a visit to President Bola Tinubu over the insecurity situation, brought together Islamic scholars, traditional rulers, and faith-based stakeholders.
Flagging off the event, Governor Radda began with special prayers for those killed in bandit attacks and for the recovery of the injured. He stressed that insecurity transcends religion, tribe, and politics and must be addressed through unity and wisdom.
“Bandits do not ask whether you belong to AC, APC, PDP, or any other group. This is why we must come together as one united people, with patience, wisdom, and collective resolve. Violence cannot solve what dialogue, understanding, and cooperation should address,” the governor said.
He listed measures his administration had introduced, including the recruitment of youths from frontline communities to support security agencies, the commissioning of eight armoured vehicles, and the procurement of 700 motorcycles to aid patrols across difficult terrains.
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to humanitarian support.
“Whenever a person is kidnapped in Katsina State, once we receive credible information, the government immediately provides humanitarian support to the family. And when victims are taken to hospitals, the Katsina State Government covers their treatment expenses,” he added.
Radda further cautioned against moral decay, urging parents, teachers, and community leaders to instill discipline in children while calling on scholars to continue speaking the truth with courage.
“By God, I am not addressing insecurity because I expect re-election. No. I am doing it because of the responsibility Allah has placed on me—to protect lives and property. And God is our witness,” he declared.
In his goodwill message, Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal Jobe stressed the importance of prayers for peace while commending the governor’s efforts in boosting security and reviving agriculture.
He recalled that last year, the government procured and e, fertilizers worth over ₦21 billion across 6,062 polling units—an initiative he described as unprecedented. He also mentioned ongoing food distribution programmes during Ramadan and plans to sell subsidised food this year to ease economic hardship.
“But government alone cannot solve this problem. We must also rebuild trust among ourselves. If parents, teachers, neighbors, and businesspeople live without honesty and trust, insecurity will continue to grow,” Jobe said.
The Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nasir Sani Zangon Daura, expressed gratitude to Allah and praised residents for their prayers. He urged stakeholders to combine spiritual efforts with action, stressing honesty, patience, kindness, and zakat as values needed to restore unity and attract divine blessings.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Isiyaku Dabai, said the coordinated prayers were designed to seek Allah’s mercy and called on residents to observe fasting on Mondays and Thursdays as further supplication for the end of insecurity in the state.
