Declare Bandits As Terrorists – Katsina Assembly Tells Buhari

Following the criminal activities of bandits in Katsina, the state Assembly has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare them as terrorists.

The parliament made the appeal after adopting the report of the House Committee on Security Matters headed by the lawmaker representing Dutsima Constituency, Muhammad Abubakar.

Speaking on the floor of the House on Monday, Abubakar said the committee’s report was based on its deliberations with security agencies on the incessant attack on citizens in the state by bandits.

Abubakar stated that the government’s reluctance to declare bandits terrorists was frustrating the efforts of security agents in winning the war against the hoodlums.

He said: “There is what we call, `limitation of administration’. This means there are some actions that security agencies cannot take against bandits because they have not been declared as terrorists.

“Therefore, there is the need for the declaration of the bandits as terrorists so that all necessary measures can be taken by security agencies to fight them.

“During our investigation, we realised that the Security Containment Order signed by Governor Aminu Masari, recorded a lot of successes in inhibiting the bandits.

“We have realised that attacks, kidnapping and killing of people by bandits have reduced by about 35 per cent. This shows that the security agencies are also trying their best.”

The lawmaker said that the declaration of bandits as terrorists would give the military, the police and other security agencies the power to deal with them accordingly.

Abubakar, however, called on the federal and state governments to declare bandits as terrorists and go after them.