Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, says lingering insecurity issues in different parts of the country will persist without the establishment of State police.
“The level of insecurity in the country has necessitated the need to have open discussions about innovative solutions to fight insecurity,” the Governor said on Wednesday in Abuja, adding that, “we must take into account all stakeholders and absolutely and immediately provide support and protection to the victims of insecurity and establishing state police remains the only viable option to end insecurity.”
A statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, said that Radda spoke at a two-day roundtable discussion programme at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja with the theme, “Multi-dimensional Approach to Tackling Insecurity in Northern Nigeria.”
According to Radda, it is essential to understand that the outfits created by some state government to fight insecurity are not traditional law enforcement agencies.
According to him, the North West region particularly, in recent years, has faced an alarming surge in various forms of insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and communal conflicts.
The statement said that, these challenges have disrupted the lives of countless Nigerians and hindered economic growth and development in the area. Addressing this crisis requires concerted effort and a unified approach transcending state boundaries.
“To understand the significance of regional cooperation in the fight against insecurity, several factors must be considered. The first is the cross-border nature of insecurity.
“Our experience with bandits shows that they operate freely between Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto states. Any effort to push them out of one state leads them to safe havens in neighbouring states and they often return to their original base,” he said.
The Governor bemoaned what he called the lack of information sharing between States, saying the situation is contributing to a poorly-coordinated approach by different Federal government security agencies operating in the region.
“The regional approach requires targeted coordination towards socio-conomic development to reduce poverty and associated insecurity. To this end, the Northwest governors approached the African Development Bank to solicit investments in agriculture and power.
“We are now embarking on an inaugural Northwest Peace and Security Summit in partnership with UNDP to bring all stakeholders and our best minds together to find solution to the ongoing insecurity in the region.”