Bandits: Katsina Lawmakers beg government to restore telecom services

Members of Katsina State House of Assembly have called on the Katsina State Government to review its Security Challenge Containment Order, part of which was the GSM network shutdown in parts of the state.

The lawmakers made the call when the member representing Batsari Constituency, Hon Jabir Yusuf Yauyau, moved a motion of urgent public importance before the House on Wednesday during a plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki.

The motion followed a bandits’ attack that claimed 11 lives and left 13 injured in the Batsari Local Government Area of the State.

In his presentation, Hon Yauyau said: “The most worrying part of the incident was that there was no network for the people of Batsari town to inform the security agencies about the attack while it was ongoing.

“Therefore, I am calling on the government to review its security measures, especially the removal of telecom services. This lack of network has worsened the situation.”

In his contribution, the lawmaker representing APC Matazu Constituency, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, said that on the same day, bandits also attacked a community in his constituency and kidnapped five people.

He further suggested that the government should provide another means of communication so that security personnel can be reached immediately when a similar attack is happening.

Most of the lawmakers who contributed during deliberations on the issue suggested that the government should review some of the security measures.

Following the deliberations, the assembly ordered its standing Committee on Security to meet the security agencies over the issue and report back to it on Tuesday next week for further actions.

In August this year, Governor Aminu Masari signed the state Security Challenge Containment Order, in which the government adopted 12 measures to contain banditry in the state.