By: Abdullahi Inuwa
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, on Tuesday led a high-powered delegation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seeking urgent federal intervention as insecurity continues to ravage communities in Katsina and the wider Northwest region.
The delegation, which included former Governor Aminu Bello Masari, prominent traditional rulers, and other critical stakeholders, held a closed-door meeting with the President at the State House, Abuja. Sources described the engagement as “frank, urgent, and decisive.”
Governor Radda, who has consistently raised alarm over the wave of bandit attacks, kidnappings, and cattle rustling in Katsina, stressed that the security situation has reached a critical stage requiring robust federal backing.
> “Our people are living in fear; farmers are abandoning their farmlands, schools are threatened, and communities are being displaced. We are here to plead for stronger federal intervention to complement the efforts of our state government and security agencies,” the Governor was quoted as telling the President.
Former Governor Masari, who governed Katsina during some of the most turbulent years of banditry in the state, backed Radda’s call, warning that the persistence of insecurity poses a grave threat to the socio-economic stability of not just Katsina but the entire Northwest.
Traditional rulers in the delegation also lent their voices, stressing that insecurity has eroded community life, disrupted commerce, and heightened poverty levels across rural areas.
The Northwest, once regarded as Nigeria’s agricultural heartland, has in recent years become a hotbed of criminality. Armed bandit groups continue to terrorize rural dwellers, launching deadly raids, blocking highways, and abducting schoolchildren. Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kaduna remain the worst hit.
According to security trackers, hundreds of lives have been lost in Katsina alone in the past year, while thousands have been displaced. Governor Radda, since assuming office in 2023, has launched a community-based security initiative and intensified support for military operations, but the scale of attacks has persisted.
While details of the meeting were not made public, a Presidency source hinted that President Tinubu reassured the delegation of his administration’s commitment to restoring peace in the region.
> “The President acknowledged the challenges and promised stronger military presence, improved intelligence operations, and socio-economic interventions to undercut the root causes of banditry,” the source disclosed.
The outcome of this meeting is expected to shape the federal government’s next line of action in the Northwest. For residents of Katsina, who have endured repeated attacks and sleepless nights, the delegation’s mission to the Villa has raised fresh hope of relief.
As one Katsina elder remarked shortly after news of the visit broke:
“We pray this is not another talk session. What our people need is action, and we hope President Tinubu will deliver.”
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