The governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, has promised to support communities in the state in their resolve to protect themselves from kidnappers, bandits and other criminals.

Speaking at a Public Engagement, 2025 Citizens’ Budget Participation Process and the launching of a Community Development Programme in the Katsina zone, the governor said the state government is actively committed to the protection of the residents.

His words, “We have come up with an initiative that for any community ready to defend itself, we will give them necessary support and training to engage criminals before the arrival of the security agents.

“I went to a village, Tsamiyar-jino, where it took me two hours inside a Jeep before I reached the village from the main road.

“So, if bandits attack such areas, from the time you inform the security, it will take them over two hours before they can respond to the distress call.

By then, whatever is going to happen will have happened – they will have killed people and kidnapped others,” he said.

The governor also decried the challenge of inadequate security persons across communities in the state.

“You see five criminals attacking a community of 2,000 to 3,000 people, rape daughters, women and abducting others without any confrontation from the people of that community.

“If there are 100 youths in the community who confront them, they will not shoot for more than three times without being captured with bare hands,” he added.