October 24, 2022

Two passengers on Saturday night lost their lives and three others were kidnapped after a team of bandits armed with sophisticated weapons attacked the Magamar Jibia border axis in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

An eyewitness (name withheld) told Channels Television on Sunday that the bandits attacked the border community yesterday at about 9:15 pm.

He narrated that before a joint police and military personnel repelled them, the hoodlums already stopped two vehicles along the major road, killed two passengers, and kidnapped three others.

“Before the police and soldiers fought them off, they stopped two vehicles, killed two passengers and kidnapped three. This is the picture of one of the victims,” the source said.

Although the police authorities are yet to confirm the incident, Channels Television gathered that despite the reduction rate of bandits’ activities in the state, the Jibia axis is still vulnerable amidst dozens of security checkpoints mounted on the road to check both the movements of persons, particularly the smuggled items.

Just last week, several bandits leaders were reported to have laid down their arms, reaching out to the Katsina State Government, seeking for a robust peace agreement that is committed to both sides.

The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Security Matters, Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Friday, 14th, October 2022.

He said that the bandit’s leaders have realized what the future beholds for them vis-a-vis the State Government’s approach to consolidate a realisable future and a framework for growth and development.

According to Katsina, the existing courage mechanism built by the state government on the citizens had since started yielding positive results with the rate of bandits’ attacks reduced to the barest minimum.

According to him, criminal activities such as banditry, kidnapping and other related crimes will soon end in recognition of the combined effort of the citizens and the government to assist the security agencies.

He recalled that the state government has recently trained 1,100 highly educated community vigilante corps that are volunteers and are ready to assist their communities to survive, an effort to send a message to the bandits to embrace peace.

The government he, added, has inaugurated a high powered committee under the chairmanship of the State Deputy Governor, Mannir Yakubu to take census of banditry-affected victims which he describes as unprecedented.

This is to ensure that the victims have not become vulnerable and thus to adverting another circle of violence after the end of banditry.

He also spoke about the 2023 general elections, assuring the people of Katsina State that the polls will be held in the most peaceful and democratic manner across all parts of the state.