Banditry: Katsina govt returns 12,000 IDPs to homes

The Katsina State Government has returned over 12,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) displaced by bandits to their homes in Shimfida, Jibia Local Government Area of the state.

The IDPs were in the company of armed security operatives when they arrived home.

Millions have been displaced across most of the states in the North-West region of the country where armed bandits ravage communities and towns.

The villagers were dispersed from the area on March 10 following the abrupt withdrawal of military personnel from the area which led to incessant attacks by terrorists and left scores of people dead.

At least 6,000 of the IDPs were accommodated at the Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Jibia, while others found shelter in the neighbouring Niger Republic before their return on Monday.

READ ALSO: Starvation hits Katsina IDPs camp

According to the LGA chairman, Bishir Sabi’u, two tranches of N88.6 million and N18 million had been released by the state government for the returning exercise.

Sabi’u said the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, had before the IDPs were returned spoken to President Muhammadu Buhari and was assured of adequate security.

He said: “The reason why we are returning them is simply that some of them have started farming in the area; we want them to go back and fully commence farming activities.

“It was the army that left the area earlier that led to the sack of the community and governor Masari had spoken to President Muhammadu Buhari and approval had been given for the redeployment of the soldiers.”

Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Katsina in the state House of Assembly, Aliyu Abubakar, has called on the security agencies to take the fight to terrorists’ enclaves rather than wait for attacks to happen before responding.

Abubakar expressed concern over the recent spike in terrorists’ attacks in the state, especially in the urban areas, including the state capital.

The Star