The Katsina State Government has said that community collaboration with criminal elements is a major factor fueling ongoing insecurity in the state, with 80 per cent of bandit attacks reportedly aided by local informants and suppliers.
The state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Mu’azu, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists in Katsina on the security situation.
“Some members of those affected communities serve as informants to the criminals or provide them with their needs at exorbitant prices in the bush,” Mu’azu said.
He cited specific examples, including individuals who sold soft drinks for N3,000 and fuel for N5,000 per litre to bandits. According to him, some residents also supply drugs and other items to the criminals, creating a profitable underground market that complicates counterinsurgency efforts.
“In another case, we found a man who connived with bandits to abduct his biological father, who was diabetic,” the commissioner said. “When the bandits brought him to their hideout, they had already reserved diabetic tablets for his daily consumption. The sum of N30 million was paid as ransom, and N8 million was given to the man for compromising and allowing his father to be abducted.”
Mu’azu said the situation has created operational challenges for security forces, especially the Nigerian Air Force. He noted that informants regularly alert bandits whenever military jets take off, allowing the criminals to evade aerial bombardment.
“Jets often end up not reaching their target because some members of the communities allow the criminals to hide under them,” he added.
While addressing broader concerns, the commissioner explained that direct attacks by bandits account for only about 20 percent of the state’s security problems. He stressed that greater cooperation from residents is required to disrupt support networks aiding criminal activity.
“The government has made progress using kinetic measures, but the non-kinetic approach is also key to finding a lasting solution,” he said.
Mu’azu urged the public to share actionable intelligence and assured that any information provided would be treated with confidentiality.
