The Nigerian Senate has issued a urgent call for enhanced security measures in Katsina State following a surge in deadly bandit attacks that killed at least 35 people within 24 hours, underscoring a deepening crisis in the northwest region.
The upper legislative chamber’s intervention on Wednesday followed a motion of urgent public importance concerning the ambush of Nigeria Police Mobile Force operatives in Bakori Local Government Area, an incident that resulted in the deaths of three officers and left two others critically injured. Senator Mohammed Dandutse, who sponsored the motion, provided a grim breakdown of the recent violence, stating that 24 people were killed in Faskari, eight in Dandume, two in Funtua, and one in Kankara.
Senator Dandutse warned that the sustained violence is crippling the state’s agricultural economy, reporting that more than 50,000 farmlands have been abandoned due to insecurity. This exodus from farming activity threatens food production and livelihoods in a region critical to Nigeria’s agricultural output. He noted that Governor Dikko Radda had previously led a delegation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, securing a pledge to establish a military barracks in the Malumfashi area to bolster security.
The senator highlighted the operational challenges posed by porous borders with Kaduna and Zamfara states, which bandits exploit to launch cross-border raids. He stressed the necessity for improved interstate security coordination to effectively combat the threat.
Contributing to the debate, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and other senators argued that existing security deployments require significant strengthening through increased troop presence, modern equipment, and intelligence-led operations. Several lawmakers described the affected zones as vital agricultural heartlands, cautioning that the instability poses wider economic risks. Senator Aliyu Wadada specifically rejected the idea of negotiating with bandits, asserting that such strategies often incentivize criminal groups.
After extensive deliberation, the Senate adopted the motion and made several specific demands. It urged President Tinubu to immediately implement the promised military barracks construction. The chamber also called on the Inspector-General of Police to equip a newly formed police squadron in the region with at least three Armoured Personnel Carriers. Furthermore, security agencies were urged to sustain coordinated actions to dismantle criminal networks. The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency were mandated to provide timely relief to affected communities.
In a show of respect, the Senate observed a one-minute silence for the victims. The resolutions reflect growing legislative alarm over the escalating violence in Katsina, a state that has become a epicenter of Nigeria’s banditry crisis, with profound implications for regional stability, food security, and public safety.
