Banditry: In Katsina, eight village chiefs abandon their domains in search of safety

Bandits’ activities in Katsina State’s Batsari Local Government Area have forced eight village heads to flee their homes for safety in the state capital.

Bandit attacks are common in the villages and communities of one of the state’s most dangerous frontline local government areas.

The state government took steps to curb bandit activity in the state, including shutting down the Batsa­ri Cattle Weekly Market, one of the largest in the region.
In an interview with newsmen, the District Head of Batsari, Sarkin Ruman Katsina, Alhaji Tukur Muazu, said his domain was constantly overrun by bandits.

“Eight of my village chiefs have given up because they can no longer bear it. Likewise, the villages and farmlands have been abandoned,” he said.

He also claimed that most of the villages and hamlets bordering the Rugu Forest have been abandoned as a result of the constant attacks.

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“The local government headquarters, Batsari, is bursting at the seams with internally displaced people from the villages. When you go there, the only people you’ll find are those who have nothing to fall back on,” he added.

Farmers in the area are the hardest hit, according to the traditional ruler, who claims that they have chased all farmers away from their farms and rustled their cattle.

He hasn’t worked on his farmlands in three years, he said.