…says ‘we know their fathers, grandfathers’
Governor Dikko Radda has revealed that the overwhelming majority of bandits wreaking havoc across Katsina State are not foreigners, but people known within local communities.
Speaking Tuesday on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Radda said “90-something percent” of the perpetrators are homegrown, with many of them well-known to residents in affected areas. “We know their fathers, their grandfathers — they are living with us,” he said.
The governor’s statement challenges a commonly held perception that armed groups causing insecurity in northern Nigeria are primarily external invaders.
Radda emphasized that the worsening insecurity continues to hinder meaningful development across the state.
“Insecurity is our greatest challenge,” he noted, explaining that although governors are seen as security chiefs, operational control lies with federal forces like the army and police — leaving states with limited direct influence.
To respond more effectively, the Katsina government has created a local security outfit composed of young people drawn from areas hardest hit by banditry.
READ ALSO: Radda Declares War on Banditry, Launches Grassroots Security Plan
According to Radda, the community-led initiative is vital because the locals have a better understanding of both the terrain and the identity of the criminals.
“These boys know the terrain better. They can lead the fight into the bandits’ enclaves,” he said. “They can fish out informants and collaborators who live among us.”
The governor also stressed that local intelligence is crucial to dismantling the networks that sustain armed groups — including those providing logistics and information to bandits.
“Without unbundling that support system, you can’t defeat insecurity,” Radda concluded.
His remarks add to growing calls for more grassroots-driven security approaches in Nigeria’s northern regions, where government forces continue to struggle with armed groups operating deep within rural and forested areas.