Bandits have adjusted significantly to the security measures of the government to shut down telecommunications services in Katsina State, adopting new communication means to carry out their operations. The bandits have acquired Walkie-Talkie Transceivers as new means of communication to outsmart the enforcement of the Security Challenges Containment Order which shut down Telecommunication services in the front line Local Government Areas in Katsina State.
The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, also Chairman of the Technical Subcommittee on Security, briefing on the achievements so far in the fight against banditry, disclosed that the government and security agencies are tracking the new communication process of the bandits to cut off the links.
The SSG Highlighted that the telecommunications shut down has limited banditry operations in the state. He noted banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other crimes reduced significantly between September and October 2021 in Katsina State, compared to the previous months of July and August.
The SSG decried that the new means of communication the bandits adopted is now the major challenge in dealing with banditry in the state.
“The recent and most worrisome move by the criminals is the acquisition of Radio Frequency Walkie-Talkie Transceivers by the bandits.
“Security agencies are, however, on their trail, to bring the usage to an end,” Inuwa declared.
The SSG also disclosed that the state government has uncovered the use of some unscrupulous elements to smuggle Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) – petrol – to bandits in the forest, informants, who provide them useful guide.