Bandits operating in the forest areas of Katsina State have allegedly devised new means of communication, as a result of the ongoing enforcement of the Security Challenges Containment Order which shut down Telecommunication services in the affected frontline Local Government Areas.
The Secretary to the Katsina State Government and Chairman Technical Subcommittee On Security, Mustapha Inuwa, who said this while briefing newsmen on the successes recorded in the fight against banditry, added that the government and security agencies are on their trail to bring the malpractice to an end.
The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, while reviewing the security situation in the state, from the beginning of the signing and enforcement of the containment order said, banditry activities in the state from September and October 2021 has witnessed a decline in kidnapping, cattle rustling and other forms of criminality, when compared to the previous months of July and August.
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He however said, the challenge is the new means of communication the bandits have adopted.
He said the security agencies and the government are on their trail.
According to him, the recent and most worrisome move by the criminals is the acquisition of Radio Frequency Walkie-Talkie Transceivers by the bandits.
Security agencies are however on their trail, to bring the usage to an end.
Inuwa also said that the government has also noted with dismay, the engagement of some unscrupulous elements to smuggle Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, to bandit’s enclaves, as well as the menace of informants.
He further said, the efforts of the security agencies are indeed commendable, especially in the arrest of such elements, the majority of whom are now facing prosecution.
The Secretary to the State Government, therefore, said that on the whole, the statistics with regards to banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling from the commencement of the Containment Order to date has revealed a drastic reduction in the number of reported cases.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
