Khadijah Shehu Abdulkareem
KATSINA, Nigeria — The Chief Whip of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Umar Dikko, broke down in tears on Tuesday while addressing fellow lawmakers, alleging that bandits had taken control of eight out of the ten wards in Matazu Local Government Area.
Speaking during plenary, Dikko — who represents Matazu constituency — described the worsening insecurity as devastating, saying residents now live in fear while farmers are unable to access their farmlands.
“Out of the 10 wards, eight are under siege. Farmers cannot go to farms. Just yesterday, by the entrance of the town near the secondary school, they killed a young man and rustled four oxen used for ploughing,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
The lawmaker further disclosed that at least 12 farmers were killed in the past two days alone while working on their farms.
“Yesterday, they killed five farmers on their farm. A day before that, they killed seven farmers. Wallahi, the farms are inaccessible anymore, Mr. Speaker. We are in dire need of help, we need help,” he cried.
Bandit attacks have plagued several parts of Katsina in recent months, leaving scores dead, livestock rustled, and livelihoods destroyed despite ongoing security operations.
Residents say the violence has crippled farming activities, deepened hunger, and forced many into displacement camps. Authorities, however, insist that fresh deployments of security forces, support for local vigilante groups, and humanitarian relief efforts are underway to restore peace.
Analysts warn that only sustained, intelligence-driven security operations combined with targeted economic interventions can halt the spiral of violence and restore stability to rural communities in Katsina.