Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari
‘Bandits are Fulani herdsmen,’ Katsina Governor, Masari opens up, as gunmen abduct sister of state’s Deputy Speaker
Katsina Governor, Bello Aminu Masari, Monday, openly named Fulani herdsmen as the bandits terrorizing his state, as well as, others in the North West region of the country.
This is as gunmen, suspected to be bandits struck at the village of the Deputy Speaker of the katsina State House of Assembly, early Monday morning, abducting a sister to the lawmaker in the attack.
A statement by the Governor Masari which quoted him while speaking during a show on Channel Television, Monday, said criminals wreaking havoc in the region are majorly Fulani herdsmen.
He further stated that the criminals responsible for the security challenges in the region have been living with them for hundreds of years.
“Bandits are persons who speak the same language as me. They profess the same religious beliefs as me.
“These bandits are not aliens, they are people we know. They are people that have been living with us for hundreds of years.
“The infiltration we have from some African countries and non-African countries, are people of the Fulani extraction.
“Majority of those involved in this banditry are Fulanis. Whether it is believable or not, that is the truth. These are people who live in the forest and their major occupation is rearing of cattle,” Masari said.
Meanwhile, suspected gunmen have kidnapped the sister of Deputy Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki.
The victim, identified as Asma’u Dalhatu, was kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday.
The gunmen took her away after they attacked Tafoki village in Faskari Local Government Council of Katsina State.
This was confirmed by Tafoki on Monday, September 6, while noting that the gunmen stormed the village around 1 am on Sunday and moved straight to the village head’s residence, which is his family house, and kidnapped two of his sisters.
He said while trying to make their way into the forest, the hoodlums encountered some members of the vigilante group who engaged them in gunfire. In the process, one of the kidnapped sisters escaped and returned home safely.
Deputy Speaker of Katsina said the incident has been reported to the security agencies.
The police authorities in the state are yet to comment on the incident. No ransom has been demanded by the kidnappers.
The attack comes less than 48 hours after gunmen stormed Kurami village in Bakori Local Government Area of the State and abducted the wife and two children of the member representing Bakori constituency in the state House of Assembly, Dr. Ibrahim Kurami.
