Micheal Adams,Katsina
Enraged by endless attacks and abduction by bandits, Hundreds of residents of Yan Tumaki in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State on Tuesday took to the streets of the town to protest repeated attacks by bandits on the community.
They were said to have been enraged by the kidnap of one Mansir Yusuf and his daughter by bandits in the early hours of yesterday. The victims were neighbours of the late District Head of Yantumaki, Alhaji Abu Atiku, who was killed by bandits who attacked his residence on May 31.
The protesters, comprising grown-up men and children, blamed President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Wasari for the spate of insecurity in the state.
He said the people might resort to self-defence, noting that such move may further worsen the security challenges in the country.
“Is it not shameful and embarrassing that this ugly security threat is happening daily in the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Chief Security Officer of the country?
“It’s glaring both the President and Governor Masari are failure, they have repeatedly failed us. They have to be alive to their constitutional duties of protecting the citizens,” he said.
Katsina is one of the states in the North-West that have suffered from repeated attacks by armed bandits on communities.
No fewer than 150 people have been reportedly killed by bandits in Kankara, Dutsinma, Musawa, Danmusa and Safana local government areas of the state in the last two months.
One of the protesters told Nigeria Daily that residents of the area now lived in fear as security agencies in the state appear helpless.
He said the people might resort to self-defence, noting that such move may further worsen the security challenges in the country.
“Is it not shameful and embarrassing that this ugly security threat is happening daily in the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Chief Security Officer of the country?
“It’s glaring both the President and Governor Masari are failure, they have repeatedly failed us. They have to be alive to their constitutional duties of protecting the citizens,” he said.
Katsina is one of the states in the North-West that have suffered from repeated attacks by armed bandits on communities.
No fewer than 150 people have been reportedly killed by bandits in Kankara, Dutsinma, Musawa, Danmusa and Safana local government areas of the state in the last two months.
The aggrieved residents made bonfires on the streets and chanted anti-government slogans disrupting vehicular and human traffic for several hours, especially along the Katsina/Kankara major highway, where they blocked the road leading to the town.
Also, the billboard bearing the picture of President Muhammadu Buhari and logo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were torched.
Police Public Relations Officer for the Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, confirmed the report saying “the Commissioner of Police has detailed the Area Commander at Dutsinma to relocate to Yantumaki as more senior officers are being deployed to the area to take care of the situation.”
He said a detachment of police was on ground controlling the situation to ensure that the protesters do not take the law into their hands or miscreants taking over the situation to loot or burn property.
“The Command and indeed other security agencies are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure those responsible for the two recent crimes are brought to book,” Isah said.
This development is coming a week after Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina announced that his administration had pulled out of the peace deal with bandits.
The state government had entered a peace agreement to halt the kidnappings and killings, but regretted that despite the deal, communities in Katsina were still being attacked and residents killed.