by Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina state has revealed that just 32 police officers are tasked with patrolling an entire local government area (LGA) in the state, which includes 10 wards and over 200 villages.
Speaking in an interview with DW Hausa, Radda highlighted the severe lack of resources, noting that out of the 32 officers, only nine guns are available, and just five of them are functional.
“In Katsina, there is a local government area with 39 policemen and nine guns, of which only five are serviceable,” Radda explained. “This LGA has 10 political wards and more than 200 villages. How can a force of 39 officers protect such a vast area?”
To address the security challenges, the governor proposed supporting communities that are willing to defend themselves. “We have initiated a plan to provide necessary support and training to any community prepared to confront criminals while waiting for security agents to arrive.”
Katsina state has faced increasing violence from bandit attacks. In February, bandits killed Sanusi Hassan, the commander of the Katsina Community Watch Corps, along with seven watchmen and several residents in Kankara LGA. In separate incidents, gunmen also killed six people in Faskari LGA and abducted 26 others in Safana LGA.
