A group, Katsina Security Community Initiative has listed the consequences of Banditry across Katsina State in North West Nigeria, which have left families torn apart by kidnappings, forced farmers off their land and drained entire communities of economic life.
It was against this backdrop, stakeholders under the Initiative (KSCI) are now shifting focus from lamenting the crisis to designing practical solutions to the persisting security challenges
To this end, the group—made up of retired generals, security experts, academics, journalists, traditional leaders, and other professionals—has been holding a series of consultative meetings across the country. From Abuja to Kaduna, and soon in Zaria, Kano, and Katsina itself, engaging stakeholders to consolidate homegrown strategies before presenting them to the State government.
At the Kaduna session, participants emphasized that insecurity cannot be left solely to government. a frontline politician and scholar, Dr. Usman Bugaje warned that Nigeria’s insecurity is sustained by a “vacuum in leadership.” According to him, citizens must take initiative or risk deeper collapse. “We either sit down in our complacency until the criminals come for us, or we rise up and tackle the issue before they do,” he cautioned.
Security expert, Dr. Yahuza Getso put forward a concrete framework: a community-based security structure built from the ground up. He proposed mobilizing 100 youths aged 17–22 per polling unit across Katsina to collaborate with official agencies such as the DSS, military, police, and vigilante groups. This, he argued, would transform existing social units into active security cells, with trained young people acting as first responders and intelligence providers.
Dr. Getso further stressed that bandits are not outsiders but residents of local government areas whose identities are known. “There is nothing like hideouts or difficult terrains,” he said. “With community cooperation and security synergy, this problem can be contained.”
Participants including Alhaji Suleiman Halliru who stressed the need for accountability, criticized political leaders for neglecting security, a constitutional obligation, while prioritizing elections. He called for citizens to demand responsibility from those in power. Comrade Ali Attahiru, representing the Police Community Relations Committee, added that government strategies like amnesty must not overlook justice. “Amnesty cannot be given to criminals without disarming them or addressing the plight of victims,” he said.
On his part, a Co-convener Hon. Jamilu Mohammed Danmusa described the Kaduna event as part of a wider consultative tour aimed at producing a comprehensive citizens’ action plan. “This is the second phase after Abuja. From Kaduna we move to Zaria, Kano, and finally Katsina. At the end, we will meet the Katsina State Government with clear proposals,” he explained.
The path forward, according to KSCI, is about partnership with government agencies, communities, and civic groups working in synergy adding that sustainable security in Katsina will only emerge when communities are empowered, local structures are strengthened, and leaders are held accountable.
