We’ll not negotiate with bandits, says Katsina gov

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has said that the state government will not seek negotiation with bandits terrorising some parts of the state, but is ready to welcome peace. Radda, who said this while inaugurating 100 additional Community Watch Corps (C-Watch) in Katsina on Wednesday, added that when his administration launched the C-Watch initiative […]

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has said that the state government will not seek negotiation with bandits terrorising some parts of the state, but is ready to welcome peace.

Radda, who said this while inaugurating 100 additional Community Watch Corps (C-Watch) in Katsina on Wednesday, added that when his administration launched the C-Watch initiative about two years ago, “the government was in uncharted territory, the learning curve was steep, and the uncertainty was high.

“The headlines say the Katsina State Government was negotiating with bandits, but that was far from reality.

“I have publicly maintained that the government will not negotiate with bandits but always welcome peace,” the governor said.

According to him, ‘Katsina Model’ is a fully community-driven approach, allowing members of affected communities to initiate and negotiate peace pacts with repentant bandits, who agree to lay down their arms.

“The role of the state government is to encourage and support the peace process while maintaining law and order in these communities.

“Our focus is to ensure that communities that enjoy peace also benefit socio-economically, giving our people a dignified existence,” he said.

The governor highlighted the success of the community peace accord initiative.

He said that Jibia had enjoyed eight months without a major attack, while Batsari had recorded seven months of uninterrupted peace.

“Other local governments, such as Danmusa, Safana, Faskari, and Sabuwa, have also witnessed relative calm since adopting the initiative,” Radda said. (NAN)