Katsina State Turns to Community Self-Defense to Counter Bandit Attacks

Governor Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State has announced that his administration has successfully trained residents to defend themselves against bandit terrorists.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, the governor revealed that many communities in the state are now out of reach for bandits due to the proactive self-defense measures taken by locals.

Explaining the reasons behind this initiative, Radda highlighted that Nigeria’s security forces are stretched too thin to fully address the nation’s security challenges.

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He emphasised the necessity for residents to help protect their communities and supplement the efforts of conventional security agencies, noting that the administration’s training program for locals has proven effective in repelling bandit attacks until formal security forces can respond.

“We are not advocating for people to bear arms,” Radda clarified. “Instead, we recognize that our security forces are insufficient to protect every citizen.

We are asking communities to entrust us with their youth so we can train them in basic self-defense techniques. This initiative is already showing results, with many areas now inaccessible to bandits due to local defense actions.”

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Radda expressed frustration at the ease with which small groups of armed bandits have been able to terrorize larger communities, saying, “It’s concerning that three or four individuals with minimal weaponry can wreak havoc in a community of 500, 1,000, or even 2,000 people.”

“To address this, we established ‘Katsina Community Watch’ shortly after I took office. We recruited and trained local youth, equipping them with essential tools to support security agencies,” he added, underscoring his administration’s commitment to community-based security.

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