Communities Behind 80% of Banditry in the State, Alleges Katsina Govt
The Katsina State Government has raised the alarm over the deep involvement of local communities in the banditry crisis that has plagued the state for years, revealing that up to 80 percent of insecurity in the region is driven by internal collaborators and informants.
Speaking during a state security briefing, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Mu’azu, disclosed that residents are not only providing intelligence to criminal groups but are also actively supplying them with resources at exorbitant prices.
According to him, some communities are selling petrol to bandits at ₦5,000 per litre and soft drinks for as much as ₦3,000 each in remote bush locations.
In one disturbing case, a man allegedly arranged the abduction of his own diabetic father, receiving ransom and also delivering medication to the abductors. “It is painful, but the truth is that the majority of those facilitating bandit activities are not outsiders they are our own people,” Mu’azu said.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda echoed this sentiment, stating that between 70 to 80 percent of banditry cases in Katsina are linked to individuals who are native to the affected communities.
“These are people whose identities and family backgrounds are well known. They live among us,” the governor said.
The government said this internal sabotage has hampered aerial surveillance and military raids, as informants tip off bandits ahead of operations, enabling them to blend in with villagers or flee entirely. Despite intensified security efforts, the presence of embedded informants remains a critical obstacle to peace.
To combat the problem, the Katsina government has launched the Community Watch Corps (CWC), a local vigilante force comprising over 2,000 personnel drawn from across the state. These operatives are being trained to identify and neutralize informant networks while providing grassroots intelligence to formal security agencies.
According to Governor Radda, this approach has already yielded results, with a reported 70 percent reduction in bandit attacks in areas such as Matazu, Faskari, Danja, and Batsari. However, he stressed that sustained success will depend on community accountability and cooperation.
Residents have been urged to report suspicious activities and individuals aiding criminals, with assurances of confidentiality and protection. Security experts, meanwhile, warn that local vigilante initiatives must be closely monitored to prevent abuse or political exploitation.
As Katsina intensifies its internal security strategy, the state stands at a crossroads: either continue to suffer from the actions of insiders or rally together to dismantle the invisible networks sustaining terror.
