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Fred Itua, Abuja
Worried by the festering insecurity in President Muhammadu Buhari’s home State, Katsina, some concerned indigenes, have called on the Federal Government impose a state of emergency on the state, following high level of killings.
The concerned citizens who are members of Indigenous People of Katsina, based in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, said the State Government has lost control of the security and can no longer guaranty the safety of residents.
Deputy spokesman of the group who is also a leader of Concerned Katsina Youth Vanguard, Shamsudeen Danasibi Faskari, expressed concerns that recent developments leading to wanton killings of innocent people in the state was a testament to the fact that the state government could not guaranty the safety of lives and property of citizens of the state.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Faskari said residents of the state are living in palpable fear, as security agencies appear helpless, stressing that the situation has reached an unimaginable level.
Faskari, who affirmed that his local government area was the centre of senseless killings since December 2019, however, observed that other parts of the state are currently under siege by bandits
The group warned that if the Federal Government fails to takeover the state, the insecurity may pose a threat to national security, thus further worsening the intractable challenges in the country occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “Precisely December 2019, we spoke eloquently through the press on the state of armed attack, kidnapping and cattle rustling in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina state. On that very occasion, we came up with a catalogue of 29 different cases of bandit attacks all in the month of December, 2019.
“However, we observed that after our landmark press conference held last December 2019, normalcy was restored to the area. Regrettably, that relative peace was cut short as bandit attacks resumed in full swing in March, 2020, extending their operations to other parts of the state.
“We have watched with a heavy heart how our people are being slaughtered like sheep and goats. We have also watched helplessly how communities are being invaded and how families and kindred are being wiped out by bandits, while security agencies appear helpless.
“We have crossed the Rubicon and there is no turning back. Therefore, we are calling on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency imposed a state of emergency on the state. Federal Government should takeover the security apparatus of the state until lives and property of citizens are guaranteed. The lives of our people is far more precious than any office.
“In case, government fails to take immediate action towards restoration of peace in the state, then we have no option than to resort to self-defence which might lead to a threat to national peace and security. We did not pray that Nigeria gets to that level of lawlessness because we have too many battles in our hands as a nation.”
