The Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, has denied any form of negotiations between his administration and bandits terrorising parts of the state.
Radda spoke at the inauguration ceremony of 100 additional Community Watch Corps (C-Watch) in Katsina on Wednesday.
He said that when his administration launched the C-Watch initiative about two years ago, “the government was in uncharted territory, the learning curve was steep, and the uncertainty was high”.
He denied reports alleging that the state government was negotiating with bandits.
“We were a new administration with the tough task of bringing peace and security to many parts of the state.
“The only thing I was certain about was my administration’s determination to bring an end to banditry.
“I campaigned on it, and the trust of the people was not going to be forsaken.
“The headlines say the Katsina State Government was negotiating with bandits, but that was far from reality.
“I have publicly maintained that the government will not negotiate with bandits but always welcome peace,” Radda further said .
According to him, ‘Katsina Model’ is a community-led, allowing locals of affected communities to begin and negotiate with repentant bandits, Promoting grassroots Peace building and reintegration into the society .
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