By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
President Bola Tinubu has authorized a major security overhaul for Katsina State, promising a fierce military blitz involving drone technology and tactical troop redeployments to crush banditry.
The decisive move comes after a high-powered Katsina delegation, fearing the state was under siege, stormed the State House to demand urgent action.
The delegation, a who’s who of Katsina’s political, traditional, and religious leadership, was led by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.
It included the Emir of Daura, former Governor Aminu Masari, all three state senators, and two federal ministers.Confronted with the grave situation, President Tinubu issued immediate orders to security chiefs.
“I have directed all the security agencies to energize further… Additional deployment of air drones, and if they have to shift movement between Katsina and other boundary areas, they should do so,” the President declared.
He promised that ground forces would intensify operations to “smoke them out.”
The President also backed the growing call for sub-national policing, revealing plans are underway to establish state police as a critical part of a holistic security strategy.
Governor Radda expressed profound relief, thanking the President for his unwavering support and labeling him “a true son of Katsina.”
During the meeting, the Emir of Katsina’s representative, Senator Ibrahim Ida, disclosed the state’s massive financial commitment to the crisis, having already invested over N40 billion in security logistics.
He pleaded for federal reimbursement and the establishment of a permanent military presence in the vulnerable southern part of the state.
The meeting signifies a significant escalation in the federal government’s response to the security crisis plaguing the Northwest.