The Presidency, has on Monday, stated that some Traditional Rulers in the home State of President Muhammadu Buhari, are sponsoring the bandits killing the people of Katsina State, and terrorising the entire communities in the State.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President, on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, on Monday morning.
His words: “It is not that we are making direct accusations on anyone, but it is also true that even in the President’s native State of Katsina, some Traditional Rulers have been found complicit in collaboration with the bandits, to harm their own people.
“In neighbouring Zamfara, Emirs and District Heads, quite a number of them, have been swept out of Office. The thing is there are beneficiaries of whatever rotten system you have.”
He added that, during the height of violent conflicts in Zamfara State, the Nigerian Air Force stationed aircraft in Katsina State Airport, from where they could launch attacks against bandits in Zamfara.
He said that once the aircraft took off, unscrupulous elements in Katsina quickly informed the bandits in Zamfara State, that an attack was imminent, giving them ample time to take cover.
The Presidential Spokesman added: “At some point, the Nigerian Air Force had to put a number of aircraft in Katsina, they are still there; in the early part of that operation attacking Zamfara, which then was the epicentre.
“They realised that once aircraft took off from Katsina Airport, before it got to Zamfara for operation, telephone calls would have been made, and targets would have disappeared. In the end, we were forced to be flying from distant places like Kaduna and Kano, in order to undertake operations in Zamfara.
“Some people see President Buhari, and think he has all the solutions. No. All of us as citizens have a duty to the nation, to provide information to our Armed Forces.”
Katsina State has in recent times seen a spike in cases of banditry, which has in turn led to a series of protests from residents.
Last week, billboards bearing the President’s photographs, were vandalised, as they accused him of failing and abandoning them.
