By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Nigeria’s top security chiefs have all left the comfort of their offices in Abuja, the federal Capital Territory, to Katsina, the home state of President Mhammadu Buhari which is becoming the epicentre of banditry in Nigeria.
The move by the security chiefs may be in reaction to a commencement of protest in Katsina on Tuesday, June 16, by a Coalition of Northern Group who said the protest was meant to express dissatisfaction over the government’s poor handling of security situation in the region. A second phase of the protest has been announced for Saturday, June 20.
The president’s special assistant on social media, Bashir Ahmaad, said the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, was the first to arrive Katsina. He was later joined by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Munguno, Director General of (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, and DG NIA, Ahmed Rufai.
“Following a presidential order, IG of Police, Muhammad Adamu arrives Katsina to coordinate Police activities aimed at ending the bandit attacks in the State and elsewhere. The President had approved a joint military and police operation targeted at Niger and 4 other North West States.
“In Katsina, National Security Adviser (NSA), DG DSS and DG NIA are also together with the IG of Police, as a joint military and police operation targeted at Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States kicked-off to rid the areas of bandits and other criminal activities,” he said.
Last Tuesday’s protest by hundreds of youths was against the activities of bandits who have been holding sway in Katsina and other states in the North West region.
Some of the placards of the protesters asked the President to either stop the killings or resign. In the past, such a protest was unthinkable, hence, the relocation of all the security heads to Katsina.