President says state police and drones will play key roles as he vows to end bandit attacks and safeguard communities
President Bola Tinubu has directed an immediate review and strengthening of security operations in Katsina State, following a fresh wave of deadly attacks by bandits. The President made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving a delegation of eminent citizens of the state led by Governor Dikko Radda at the State House.
Tinubu said the federal government is set to deploy advanced military hardware, surveillance gadgets, and additional drones to the state to halt the increasing threat to the lives and property of innocent residents. He also stressed that the federal government is seriously considering the establishment of state police to better tackle peculiar security challenges across the country.
“The security challenges that we are facing are surmountable. Yes, we have porous borders. We inherited weaknesses that could have been addressed earlier. It is a challenge that we must fix, and we are facing it. I have today directed all the security agencies to energise further and look at the strategies. We have approved the additional acquisition of drones,” the President said.
Tinubu further ordered that he must receive daily updates on the security situation in Katsina, noting that the fight against insecurity will be intensified at both the state and federal levels. He decried the politicisation of the state police debate, saying the exigencies of security in some regions now require locally rooted outfits that understand the terrain, culture, and networks of the people.
“We must protect our children, people, livelihood, places of worship, and recreational spaces. They can’t intimidate us. We will defeat insecurity. I am reviewing all aspects of security, and we have to create a state police. We are looking at that holistically,” he declared.
The President also assured that former President Muhammadu Buhari, who hails from Katsina State, would be immortalised for posterity. While paying tribute to Buhari, Tinubu described his passing as a painful loss but insisted that the late leader left a strong legacy for the country.
“The time we lost our brother, President Buhari, is a loss for all of us. It is the will of God Almighty, but he has left in a good way. He didn’t hand over a defeated country or a battered political structure, but a legacy of success. We just have to continue praying that Almighty Allah should grant him Aljannah Firdausi and give us the strength to push Nigeria forward. It would have been regretful if we had lost the elections to the other parties. There are no other wishes he would have had than to have Katsina State and the Presidency intact,” Tinubu noted.
Governor Dikko Umar Radda, in his remarks, thanked the President for his continuous support for Katsina State, which he said includes the appointment of indigenes into strategic federal positions and the provision of vital infrastructure. He urged the federal government to extend more support in the areas of security, youth empowerment, and infrastructure, stressing that the state is grappling with worsening security issues.
“Mr President, I would like to thank you very much, and I want to say before our elders that I never came to you with a request that was rejected. We thank you for sharing with Katsina. You are a true son of the state. I recall that Katsina was the first state you visited and spent a night in. We thank you for the privilege. But we are here again because I know you are aware of the problem affecting our state,” Radda said.
Former Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, who was part of the delegation, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for accorded the late Buhari a dignified state burial, describing it as a gesture the people of Katsina would never forget. He also pledged the loyalty of the state to the President’s leadership.
The Waziri of Katsina, Ibrahim Ida, lauded Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure development, particularly the Kano-Maradi Rail project, which he said would transform trade and connectivity in the region. He called for the upgrade of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport to improve its efficiency and noted that more security attention was needed in the southern parts of Katsina.
He further expressed appreciation to the President for honouring the late Buhari, describing it as a mark of respect that reflects the bond between Katsina and the Nigerian Presidency.
Through the assurances, directives, and pledges made, the meeting underscored both the urgency of the security situation in Katsina and the commitment of the federal government to deploy all necessary measures to restore peace and stability in the state.
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