From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
Communities across Danmusa, Batsari and Jibia Local Government Areas of Katsina State have commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for restoring peace after a decade of persistent banditry, killings, and mass displacement.
Community leaders made the commendation on Thursday while receiving the governor during his statewide engagement tour of frontline councils previously ravaged by insecurity.
The Chairman of the Committee of Elders in Danmusa, Dr Muazu Danmusa, said the area had enjoyed months of uninterrupted calm following years of violent attacks.
“For months now, Danmusa town and surrounding villages have not witnessed attacks, kidnapping, or killings,” he said. “Economic activities have resumed, farmers go to their farms without fear, and schools have reopened for lessons.”
In Batsari, community leader Muhammmad Abdu Rumah recounted that the area had suffered severe insecurity for nearly 10 years, forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes.
He said peace initiatives introduced by the Radda administration, including engagements with local security structures and improved military support, had enabled the gradual return of calm.
“For the first time in years, our people are sleeping without fear. This is due to the peace deal and the measures put in place by the government,” he said.
Similarly, leaders in Jibia— a border community with Niger Republic—said the area, once one of the most volatile in the state, now enjoys relative peace after years of cross-border raids and abductions.
Meanwhile, Governor Radda flagged off the distribution of empowerment items in Safana and Kurfi Local Government Areas. The items include sewing machines, grinding machines, super-getters, motorcycles and cash support for youths and women to establish small businesses.
The governor also inaugurated township and feeder road projects across some of the local governments visited, saying the initiatives were designed to accelerate rural development and support economic recovery.
He commended local government councils for adopting various programmes aimed at reducing poverty and generating income for their people.
Earlier, the Chairman of Jibia Local Government, Sirajo Ado, lauded the state government for ensuring financial autonomy for councils.
He said the autonomy allowed Jibia LG to execute key projects, including the renovation of the secretariat, repairs of boreholes, upgrades of primary healthcare centres, and ongoing feeder road construction.
Ado described the governor’s statewide tour as “a strategic step towards identifying the real needs of the people and strengthening government–community relations.”
