Declare state of emergency in Katsina, indigenes beg Buhari

The President of Nigeria Muhammad Buhari has been asked to declare a state of emergency in his own Katsina State.

The call is made by the ndigenous people of Katsina based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja .

In a statement made available to The DAILY VENDOR News on Monday in Abuja, the group under the aegis of Concerned Katsina Youth, noted that recent developments leading to wanton killings of innocent people in the state were a testament to the fact that the state government could not guarantee the safety of lives and property of citizens of the state.

The group blamed the state government for the spate of insecurity in the state, noting that the ceasefire deal reached with the bandits has not yielded any result.

Deputy spokesman of the group, Alh. Shamsudeen Danasibi Faskari who signed the statement noted that residents of the state now live in palpable fear, as security agencies in the state appear helpless, stressing that the situation has reached an unimaginable level.

Faskari, who affirmed that his local government, Dutsinma was the epicentre 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 take over the state, the recent wave of insecurity may pose a threat to national security and further worsen the intractable challenges in the country occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Precisely December 2019, we spoke eloquently through the press on the state of armed attacks, kidnapping and cattle rustling in Dustin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State. On that very occasion, we came up with a catalog 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, 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 as a matter of urgency to impose a state of emergency on the state. The federal government should take over the security apparatus of the state until the lives and property of citizens are guaranteed. The lives of our people are far more precious than any office.

“In case the government fails to take immediate action towards the restoration of peace in the state, then we would have no option than to resort to self-defense which might lead to a threat to national peace and security. We do not pray that Nigeria gets to that level of lawlessness because we have too many battles in our hands as a nation,” Faskari stated.