Bandits beg Masari for amnesty in Katsina

Group of bandits in their hideout in the forest between Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State and Birni Gwari in Kaduna State have pleaded with Governor Aminu Bello Masari for dialogue and to grant them amnesty.

Their leader, Malam Idris Yahaya, during an arranged meeting with reporters near a primary school located at Dankolo Village in Sabuwa Local Government Area, said his members were tired of violence and suffering from deprivation imposed on them by the local security vigilance groups in the area.

He said the meeting with the reporters was facilitated by the peace pact recently entered into between the local communities and the bandits to enable farming activities to go on uninterrupted.

Yahaya explained: “We are tired of violence. Again, we have discovered that the real benefactors of this violence include highly placed government officials and security personnel, who will want it to go on for their pecuniary benefits. We want Governor Masari to talk directly to us.”

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The bandits also requested the governor to help facilitate the release of two of their elders – Lawal Baldu and Ibrahim Nakutama – who, he said, were arrested at an airport two years ago.

He maintained that the two elders can also help facilitate a quick end to the attacks, if released.

But, the state police command has told the bandits that time is running out for them, urging them to surrender and repent on their nefarious activities

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in a statement, said the state is experiencing a lull in attacks due to intensified security checks on the activities of the bandits.

He said: “In a couple of weeks to come, there will be no hiding place for any bandit. They should either surrender or face the consequences.

“The strategy put in place by the security agencies, couple with the cooperation of the public in giving out actionable intelligence, is yielding results.”