Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has unveiled fresh measures to tackle insecurity and support victims of banditry across the state.
In a joint statement signed by Bala Zango, Commissioner for Information and Culture, and Maiwada Dammallam, Director-General of Media to the Governor, Mr Radda said the state government will provide 152 houses for displaced families in Jibia Local Government Area, alongside business support packages, cattle, and industrial tools for repentant bandits as part of a reintegration programme.
The governor made the remarks during a high-level consultation meeting on security, governance, and development held on Sunday in Katsina.
Security and Jobs
Governor Radda reaffirmed that security remains his administration’s top priority, alongside education, agriculture, healthcare, micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) support, and revenue generation.
Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal-Jobe disclosed that the government had created 35,903 jobs under its Building Your Future policy. The recruitment of teachers, ward heads, community watch members, hunters, vigilantes, and religious leaders formed part of the peacebuilding framework.
Urban Renewal and Infrastructure
Mr Lawal-Jobe also highlighted progress under the N74.9 billion Urban Renewal Project spanning Daura, Funtua, and Katsina Senatorial Districts. Completed works include the 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass, eight road dualisation projects in Katsina town, and the reconstruction of roads in Daura and Funtua.
Education and Scholarships
Under the AGILE initiative, 160 new classrooms were constructed, 258 rehabilitated, 18,000 teachers trained, and three model schools established. In addition, ₦6.18 billion worth of scholarships were awarded to 174,451 students, including overseas sponsorships.
Agriculture and Women Empowerment
The administration distributed 400,000 bags of subsidised fertiliser annually, procured 400 tractors, 4,000 irrigation pumps, and launched a Goat Rearing Initiative to empower women and herders.
Healthcare and Welfare
On health, the deputy governor confirmed the construction or upgrade of 260 primary health centres, renovation of general hospitals, and establishment of dialysis and diagnostic centres. Workers’ welfare also received attention, with ₦24 billion paid in gratuities, wage awards, Ramadan packages, and food distributions.
Water, Energy, and Climate
The government invested ₦14.6 billion in water projects, completed major dams, expanded irrigation schemes, and converted hand pumps to solar-powered boreholes. In the energy sector, ₦3.84 billion went into solar mini-grids, 74km of solar-powered streetlights, and transformer upgrades.
Roots of Banditry
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu, attributed rising banditry to greed, natural resource conflicts worsened by climate change, and long-standing social injustices. He noted that while the menace spread from five LGAs between 2011 and 2015 to 25 LGAs after the collapse of the amnesty programme, peace pacts in DanMusa, Jibia, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, and Musawa were entirely community-driven.
