Governor Dikko Radda expressed frustration over the dire security situation in his state, revealing that a local government area with 10 wards and over 200 villages has only five functional guns for its 32 police officers.
Radda, who spoke to DW Hausa Service, did not disclose the name of the affected local government area but emphasized the need for community involvement in combating insecurity.
He offered to provide approved guns and training to willing communities to defend themselves against bandits, according to Premium Times.
“Currently in Katsina, there is a local government area with 32 policemen and nine guns, and the serviceable guns are five.
“The LGA has 10 political wards, with more than 200 villages. How can a police force with 32 personnel protect them?” the furious governor lamented.
The governor said his administration would provide guns approved by the law for self-defence to vulnerable communities if people are willing to protect their communities and families against the bandits.
“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”, he stated.
Reacting to the governor’s comments, lawyer Bulama Bukarti called for an investigation into the trillions of naira allocated for security during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, citing widespread insecurity and inadequate law enforcement presence in rural areas.
Bukarti criticized the lack of action from the current administration, stressing the need to address corruption in defense and security procurement to overcome Nigeria’s insecurity challenges.
“An entire local government in one of Nigeria’s most insecure regions, with only 32 policemen and five functional guns? And Katsina is not an exception.
“Large swathes of rural Nigeria have little to no law enforcement presence. Those few officers who are deployed are often poorly equipped, inadequately trained and lacking motivation. Is it any surprise that criminal gangs dominate these vast rural areas?
“What exactly did the Buhari administration do with the trillions of naira allocated for security? The Tinubu administration should have initiated an investigation—but they haven’t. So far, there is little indication that Tinubu’s government is any better than Buhari’s.
“Nigeria will not overcome its deep-rooted insecurity until we confront and dismantle the rampant, obscene corruption in the defence and security procurement sectors,” Mr Bukarti said.
