Armed-Banditry: Nothing Changes In Katsina State, by Umar Babangida

It’s almost two years, since the newly elected governors in Nigeria assumed offices, after the 2023 general election held in the entire country. Some of the elected governors are either newly elected or re-elected, albeit they are not beyond to count on fingers, to serve their second(last) tenure. Io and behold any states that had been bedeviling and coping with the menace of insecurity in their states are fortunately having newly elected governors at the helm of affairs in their states. In Katsina state, governor Umar DIKKO RADDA “PhD”- as some critics ridiculously calling him- was newly elected not re-elected, so also Dauda lawan Dare of Zamfara was not only elected newly but also surprisingly defeated the then incumbent governor and emerged winner although he came from the opposition party. So did governor Ahmad Aliyu from Sokoto.  Likewise, Senator Uba Sani in Kaduna state. All of these governors are luckily at their first tenures in office and they are facing, though inherited, challenges of insecurity in their respective states.

Thus people have strong beliefs that since the past governors did not finish the menace of insecurity in their states, these newly elected governors would put all their fresh ideas and hands on deck to address these challenge of insecurity, which is almost the utmost priority, that held their states to ransom and bring an end to it in toto. But Alas! Nothing changes rather escalated to some extent in many parts of their states.

Notwithstanding, some states, like Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto state, established vigilantes groups who are trained, armed and equipped them with weapons in order to curb the escalation of insecurity which becomes a cog in the wheel of affairs in their states. People hopefully thought that they would come with afresh ideas which may terminate the activities of armed banditry in their states which menaced and ravaged the numerous people in which they were rendered them homeless, impoverished and despaired.

The insecurity in these states is always becoming hazardous, precarious, prevalent and persistent with no seemingly end of it in sight. Are these morons armed bandits more powerful or stronger than Nigerian soldiers? Many critics and security analysts blamed and suspected that the menace of insecurity in North West of Nigeria has been politicised. They are deliberately allowed to kill, maim, raid, kidnap, rape and destroy people hard-earned properties at their will.

These governors, especially the governor of katsina state, were during the electioneering campaign and in many interviews with journalists vowing that whenever he happens to be elected as a governor of katsina state, he would lead, being at frontline as their commander, soldiers and security personnel to flush out those nincompoops armed-bandits from wherever their hideouts and whereabouts they are hiding. Today he is a sitting governor in the state, has he even tried once enter the bush in the fight against these kidnappers?

He, instead, went to abroad to enjoy a one month leave for being in office for one year as a governor and left innocent peoples of katsina state at the mercy of kidnappers. Upon his resumption, people were thinking that he would implement fresh ideas and tighten up his belt in terminating the activities of armed-banditry which turned the state into what many people are now calling battlefield. He has been seen on interview, and in many occasions, with the reporter of DW telling that people should armed and equipped themselves with necessary weapons to protect their lifes and secure their respective towns from being invade by those terrorists. He, therefore, resorted to the oldest idea of his predecessor, when he admitted to the failure of his clueless administration, that people should wake up to protect their lifes and properties. What changes between that government and this current government? What is the primary duty of government if not to protect the lifes and properties of it’s subjects?

The insecurity now in Katsina state has subjected a number of people and plunged them in abject poverty living in despair and increased the number of children out of schools across the state, many people had been displaced leaving their hard-earned properties and farms behind with no home to sleep, place to work and school to attend. Imagine a multimillionaire becomes a pauper overnight as a result of kidnappers? Is this not scary?

The talents of children with ambition to study hard to become productive have been shattered. I was interviewing some of the victims’ children who had been displaced by armed-bandits in Ruwan Godiya and many more from different areas living now in IDP camps, I was asking some of them about their ambitions before these tragic moments, I didn’t know when tears dropped from eyes, when some of the children were telling me that they were ambitious to become medical doctors, some lawyers, journalists and  engineers. Children with ambitions and dreams are scattered overnight. A one child grabbed me tightly asking me that ” when things would come  back to normalcy to study hard and become journalist like me? I answered him doubtedly, very soon. Is this not telling you  that the future of katsina state,  in terms of education, is bleaker.

These governors should be remembered that they’ve pledged, and took oath with the scared book they believed in, either kur’an or Bible, that they would protect the lifes and properties of their people as their primary duties, to work tirelessly until people are back to their normal lifes, living in their villages, towns and, downright, homes with their two eyes closed even if they have to their lifes at stake whilst doing so.

UMAR BABANGIDA, WRITES FROM FUNTUA, KATSINA STATE AND CAN BE REACHED VIA EMAIL: omarbangees@gmail.com.