Gov. Radda says rogue elements in government, military officers supporting terrorists operation in Katsina

In a stunning revelation, Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has blown the lid off a web of corruption and deceit, accusing senior government officials and military personnel of actively supporting and profiting from the brutal banditry crisis plaguing the state.

According to Governor Radda, rogue elements within the government are providing covert support to the bandits and terrorists, allowing them to operate with impunity and perpetuate terrorism against innocent civilians, which continues to increase at an alarming rate.

Radda, who spoke on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” program on April 5, 2024, noted that a bandit organization has more than 100 camps behind the insecurity, attributing it instead to poverty and injustice.

He also expressed skepticism about negotiating with bandits, saying: “It is a business venture for the criminals and a business venture for some people who are in the government, some people who are in the security outfits and some people who are responsible for the day. daily activities of their people.”

According to Radda, tackling banditry requires a more effective approach than mere negotiations. states, saying poverty has made recruitment into banditry easy, adding that as little as N500 could lure youths. Governor Radda rejected all political motives

“Devastating attack on Katsina community leaves 24 dead”
While Governor Radda was making these allegations, a brutal attack by terrorists on Unguwar Sarkin Noma community in Sabuwa County has claimed the lives of 24 persons while several others have been injured. In the attack, which took place around 9pm on Thursday evening, the terrorists stormed into Unguwar Sarkin Noma, Gangara, Tafi and Kore villages, firing indiscriminately to terrorize residents. Despite earlier warnings and attempts to alert security agencies, the bandits still managed to carry out the devastating attack, said Sabuwa County Chairman Faruq Dalhatu.

“Provincial officials had informed various security agencies of the impending attack and they responded immediately. However, the bandits still managed to infiltrate the community leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life,” Dalhatu told TV reporters.

Analysts react to Governor Radda’s incessant attacks and allegations
Undated photo of Kachala Ruga (left) and Alhajin Auta when both were subordinate commanders of bandits loyal to Bello Turji in 2022. Credit: Neptune Prime.
Undated photo of Kachala Ruga (left) and Alhajin Auta when both were subordinate commanders of bandits loyal to Bello Turji in 2022. Credit: Neptune Prime.
Retired Nigerian Navy Captain Umar Bakori. credit: Umar Bakori.
Retired Nigerian Navy Captain Umar Bakori. credit: Umar Bakori.
Bandit-controlled areas of Rugu Forest in Eastern Zamfara and Katsina State.
Bandit-controlled areas of Rugu Forest in Eastern Zamfara and Katsina State.
A security expert and native of Katsina State, Navy Captain Umar Bakori (retired), told TruthNigeria in an exclusive chat that there were several factors leading to an increase in attacks on the Katsina community. The governor’s claims are true but that the governor should have gone further and mentioned the names of the alleged conspirators, Bakori told TruthNigeria.

“The governor should have gone ahead and named the collaborators so that they could be arrested and prosecuted. When he said that some elements within the military are working with the terrorists, I strongly disagree. Having served in the Navy for over thirty years, I know that the military parades the most patriotic Nigerians.”

Captain Umar provided insight into the increase in violence in the northern border state. There are seven provinces occupied by the 220 km long Rugu Forest, which extends from the border with the Republic of Niger to the southwestern provinces of the state.

The forest is an endless tangle of hills, caves and rocky promontory, very thick and dense with undergrowth, stretching from Birnin Gwari in Kaduna, passing through the south-west of Katsina State and covering the border areas in Zamfara State. According to Bakori, Rugu forest is actually the hub and hideout of most terrorists in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina.

Rugu Forest is home to 100 bandit gangs in Sabuwa, Faskare, Dandume, Danmusa, Safana, Batsari and Jibiya provinces. These provinces are increasingly being attacked by kidnappers, smugglers and sex traffickers, according to sources interviewed by TruthNigeria.

“To curb this menace, the Nigerian Army has upgraded the strength of its troops from battalion level to brigade level. The army is setting up a cordon around the Rugu,” Umar said.

Aliyu Abdullahi Tumbarki, a resident of Faskare and a journalist, told TruthNigeria that the terrorists are challenging the military initiatives across the state. “We used to witness maybe one or two attacks a week, but now it’s two or three times a day. If the army is deployed in Faskare, the terrorists will shift to Kankara; when the army is moved to Kankara, the terrorists switch to Dandume. They also come from Niger and Mali to join the criminals in the Rugu Forest,” Tumbarki said.

Katsina officials colluding with terrorists?
The security outfits created by the governor are the cause of the problem – not the military, according to Bakori, who explained that the governor created a security outfit of about 12,000 people last year and spent N18 billion to fund the outfit.

“This in itself is the personification of corruption,” Bakori said, adding: “The enormous amount of money spread corruption.”

“Moreover, he recruited individuals who were just looking for a job, and not those who are interested in defending the country or their communities,” Bakori said.

Some of these individuals sometimes betray the military or lead them into ambushes because they are unfamiliar with the terrain themselves

“Officials of the governor are the ones spreading corruption and colluding with the terrorists through the permission of the governor himself,” Bakori said.

Governor Radda would not be the only one to have made similar accusations. Radical sheikh and bandit negotiator Ahmed Gumi said as much.

On June 22, 2021, Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmed Gumi told Arise TV that the military had colluded with the terrorists in North West to perpetuate the kidnapping.

Samuel Kanu-Uche, the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, was kidnapped in Umunneochi County of Abia State on May 29, 2022, along with two other priests

The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 100 million naira, which was paid, and Kanu-Uche was released on May 30, 2022.

However, after his release, the Christian cleric accused elements of the Nigerian military of collaborating with the Fulani terrorists – kidnappers who kidnapped him.

On both occasions, the Nigerian Army hierarchy issued statements denying that its personnel were colluding with terrorists

TruthNigeria