Despite escalating killings by bandits and other criminal elements in Katsina, only 30 policemen are deployed to man over 100 affected villages Governor Aminu Masari has lamented.
The perplexed Governor described the current statistics of deployment of an average of 30 policemen to about 100 villages as “gross deficit’.
Katsina is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Governor however said his administration had initiated actions to amend extant laws with a view to enhancing authority of village heads and local authorities for community policing.
Masari said this will compliment ongoing efforts to emplace a robust community policing structure whilst addressing the gross deficit in the deployment of police operatives at local levels.
Masari spoke during the luncheon organised by the Nigerian Air Force to celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir with frontline troops in Katsina.
He emphasised if such actions were not taken, “even if the bandits were wiped out by the military, another generation of criminal elements would quickly take their place in the absence of adequate policing”.
According to him: “The bandits are intertwined within the communities so sometimes it may be difficult for the NAF or the Army to distinguish them from the locals in order to conduct offensive operations devoid of collateral damage.
“The locals must stop giving support, information or safe havens to these criminals.”
While appreciating the contributions of the NAF in addressing the security challenges in the North West, the Governor, expressed joy over construction of the aircraft hangar, along with ancillary facilities, would soon commence.
He equally lauded the steps being taken to acquire Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, that would operate from Katsina, noting that this would undoubtedly add impetus to operations in the area.
The Governor noted the security challenges in the State were definitely surmountable with the right kind of support from the general public.
Source: The Nation
