The Chief Whip of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Umar Dikko, has wept during plenary over rising insecurity in Matazu Local Government Area.
Dikko, who represents Matazu constituency, said bandits had taken control of most parts of the area.
He cried out that residents have been left helpless and farmers unable to access their farms.
“Out of the 10 wards, eight are under siege. Farmers cannot go to farms. Just yesterday, by the entrance of the town near the secondary school, they killed a young man and rustled four sets of oxen used for ploughing,” he said in tears.
The lawmaker also revealed that within just two days, 12 farmers were killed by the bandits.
“Yesterday, they killed five farmers on their farm. A day before that, they killed seven farmers on their farms. Wallahi, the farms are inaccessible anymore” he cried.
His emotional plea sheds more light on the situation in Katsina, which is among states worst hit by banditry in the North-West.
Bandits have continued to go on a killing spree, Kidnapping and raping at will.
Despite military operations and security reinforcements, the attacks persist, with bandits using forests as hideouts to launch new assaults.
The state and federal governments have tried to restore peace by deploying more security personnel, supporting vigilante groups, and assisting displaced persons. But these have not stopped the attacks as reported almost daily in the media.
