Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has restated that his administration will not hold talks with bandits, declaring that his government is only interested in achieving lasting peace through lawful and community-driven means.
Radda made the clarification during the passing-out ceremony of 100 new officers of the Community Watch Corps (C-Watch) in Katsina.
The new operatives are to be deployed across 20 of the state’s 34 local government areas to strengthen local security efforts.
His comments followed reports suggesting that government officials had recently held a peace meeting with bandit groups.
The governor, however, described such claims as misleading and completely untrue.
He said: “The headlines say the Katsina State Government is negotiating with bandits, but that is far from reality.
“I have publicly maintained that the government will not negotiate with bandits but will always welcome peace.”
Radda explained that his administration is focused on what he called the “Katsina Model”, a peace approach driven by communities to encourage genuine repentance and reintegration for those who voluntarily surrender their arms.
“The role of the state government is to encourage and support the peace process while maintaining law and order in these communities.
“Our focus is to ensure that communities that enjoy peace also benefit socio-economically, giving our people a dignified existence,” he added.
According to him, the initiative has already produced positive results, with areas such as Jibia recording eight months without a major attack and Batsari enjoying seven months of uninterrupted peace.
“Other local government areas — Danmusa, Safana, Faskari, and Sabuwa — have also witnessed relative calm since adopting the initiative,” he added.
The governor also said the Community Watch Corps was conceived to enhance grassroots defence and complement the work of conventional security agencies.
“When we launched the Community Watch Corps over two years ago, we were in uncharted territory.
“The only thing I was certain of was my administration’s determination to bring an end to banditry in Katsina State. I campaigned on it, and the trust of the people was not going to be forsaken,” he stated.