The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, on Tuesday, said the state government would no longer negotiate a peace agreement with the dreaded, rampaging armed bandits who are killing innocent civilians in the state.
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“The armed bandits have betrayed our trust in them, following a peace agreement earlier negotiated with them, in our quest to find a lasting peace in the state,” Mr Masari told BBC Hausa service.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
The governor said despite the peace agreement entered, the bandits, in coordinated attacks with their accomplices from Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger Republic, have continued with indiscriminate killings across the state.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
The governor said in 2016, his administration introduced the peace agreement and it was successful because of the positive impact it made. However, the armed bandits later betrayed the government, the governor said.
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He said there are unrepentant bandits, they are the ones carrying on with the attacks. Now, it is the security agents that can negotiate with the bandits, he added.
“We chose peace dialogue for peaceful coexistence in the state and we have done our best; yet, the attacks continue,” Mr Masari said.
“As a result of the peace agreement, the government banned vigilante groups and identified cattle routes and facilitated free movements of bandits to convey their livestock in the markets.
“The Federal Government has deployed more troops with at least five fighter jets that would work between Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto. However, the security agents are complaining of (a) dearth of logistics to help them fight the bandits,” the governor said.
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