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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In response to the escalating bandit attacks recently reported in Katsina State, President Bola Tinubu has directed an immediate and comprehensive review of security operations in the state.
The President also affirmed the federal government’s commitment to deploying more advanced military hardware, including drones and surveillance gadgets, aimed at strengthening efforts to protect the citizens.
According to a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, he gave the directive when he received a delegation of Katsina leaders led by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda at the State House in Abuja, Tuesday night.
President Tinubu stressed the necessity of deploying security outfits familiar with the local terrain and culture to effectively combat insecurity at the grassroots level. He said, “The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it.”
President Tinubu disclosed that he had “directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies,” adding, “We have approved the additional acquisition of drones.” He instructed that security agencies provide daily feedback on the operations in Katsina to ensure real-time assessment and adjustment.
Highlighting the proposed establishment of state police, the President noted, “I am reviewing all the aspects of security; I have to create a state police. We are looking at that holistically. We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, people, livelihood, places of worship, and recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us.”
The President defended the idea of state police against political criticisms, explaining that “the exigencies of security in some states will require the deployment of outfits that understand the terrain and the peculiar culture of the people and can easily network at the grassroots.”
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He also reassured the Katsina delegation of the federal government’s plan to further equip forest guards recently deployed in the state as part of enhanced security measures.
The meeting also touched on the legacy of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who hailed from Katsina. President Tinubu vowed, “The time we lost our brother, President Buhari, is a loss for all of us. It is the will of God Almighty, but he has left in a good way. He didn’t hand over a defeated country, a battered political structure, but a legacy of success, which is the most important thing.” He urged Nigerians to “continue praying that Almighty Allah should grant him Aljannah Firdausi and give the rest of us the ability to stand very strong and push Nigeria forward.”
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda expressed gratitude for the President’s support, noting, “Mr President, I would like to thank you very much, and I want to say before our elders that I never came to the President with a request that he rejected.” He also praised Tinubu as “a true son of Katsina State,” recalling that Katsina was the first state the President visited and stayed overnight after his inauguration.
Governor Radda requested more support in the areas of security reinforcement, youth empowerment, and infrastructure development. He acknowledged that Katsina still faces serious challenges and called for continued federal assistance.
Former Governor Aminu Bello Masari also expressed gratitude for the federal respect shown to the late President Buhari with a state funeral and reassured the President of Katsina’s loyalty.
Adding to the security discourse, the Waziri of Katsina, Senator Ibrahim Ida, commended President Tinubu’s efforts to advance major infrastructure projects like the Kano-Maradi Rail and called for an upgrade of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport. He advocated for more focused security attention, particularly in the southern part of Katsina, to curb banditry.
