Most Bandits Are Fulani Who Profess Same Religious Beliefs As Me – Governor Masari

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, says most bandits are of the Fulani ethnic inventory as himself, including that they converse Fulfulde and profess the identical non secular beliefs as himself.

He stated many northerners won’t like his revelation however maintained that his disclosure stays the reality.

The governor spoke on Monday as a visitor on Channels Tv’s ‘Politics At present’ programme monitored by The PUNCH.

When requested concerning the identities of bandits terrorising all the North-West and different elements of the nation, Masari stated, “They’re the identical folks like me, who converse the identical language like me, who profess the identical non secular beliefs like me.

“So, what we’ve got right here on floor are bandits; they don’t seem to be aliens, they’re folks we all know, they’re folks which have been residing with us for 100 of years.

“The infiltration we’ve got from some West African international locations and North African international locations are additionally folks of the Fulani extraction.

“Majority of these concerned on this banditry are Fulanis whether or not it’s palatable or it’s not palatable however that’s the fact. I’m not saying 100% of them are Fulani however majority of them are, and these are individuals who reside within the forest and their foremost occupation is rearing of cattle.”

‘Motion restriction painful however vital’
The PUNCH had earlier reported that efficient August 31, 2021, Masari closed the Jibia-Gurbin-Baure Street and the Kankara-Sheme Street to all motorists, advising them to make use of Funtua Street in its place route.

The governor additionally suspended gross sales of cows, and different animals at markets in 14 native authorities areas of the state in a transfer to curb the worsening safety conditions within the North-West state.

Commenting on Monday, Masari stated the measures are “painful” however “vital”, including that the efforts are working nevertheless it has not recorded the extent of outcomes he wished.

He famous that over 100 teams are within the forest “all made up of bandits, kidnappers, rapists and armed robbers”, including that each one measures can be employed to curtail the scenario earlier than the top of the 12 months.

‘Filling stations in remoted locations shut’
Moreover, the governor stated the restrictions in the previous few days have drastically lowered the motion of bandits in massive teams.

He stated some filling stations in remoted places service the bandits who largely transfer on bikes.

“We aren’t completely shutting all of the filling stations. In native governments, we stated two filling stations will function and in these filling stations, no person will promote gasoline in jerrycans and gallons.

“There could also be some hardship however it’s higher now to take the hardship now with a view to restore normalcy. We have now an inventory of a few of these filling stations which might be shelling out gasoline in jerrycans,” Masari stated.

‘NCC ought to shut telecom websites in 13 LGAs’
The Federal Authorities by means of the Nigerian Communications Fee lately requested some main telecommunications companies to close down communication websites in Zamfara State from September 3 to September 17, 2021 to the insecurity within the North-West state.

The order got here precisely six months after declaring Zamfara State a ‘no-fly zone’.

Talking on the programme, Masari hailed the choice in Zamfara. He stated bandits function on the power of their informants whom he stated had been scattered everywhere in the state, shelling out safety info to the criminals within the bush by means of the usage of cell phones and different communication devices.

He stated many navy operations have been sabotaged because of the actions of informants, thereby, affecting the onslaught of the Nigerian Air Drive and different sister businesses towards the bandits.

The governor urged the Federal Authorities to close down telecommunication websites in at the least 13 native authorities areas in Katsina rife with banditry.

“We aren’t advocating the whole shut down in Katsina State however we’ve got about 13 native authorities areas on the border that ought to be shut and this may give us the chance to function with out informants,” he stated.

‘Katsina may have legislation banning cattle roaming’
The 17 Southern governors had set a deadline of September 1, 2021, for member states to signal the Anti-Open Grazing Invoice into legislation. A variety of them have since backed the choice banning open grazing with the instrument of the legislation.

Requested about his ideas on open grazing and the current determination by his Southern colleagues, the Katsina State governor stated the state would have a legislation banning the “roaming” of livestock.

He, nonetheless, stated provisions can be made for the place the animals can be ranched earlier than the legislation takes impact.

“Herdsmen ought to keep in a single place. Roaming about shouldn’t be inspired. In actual fact, for us, it’s un-Islamic. Why do you may have animals that you simply can not feed and it’s important to go to different folks’s land and farm and also you say that’s proper? I don’t suppose it’s proper.

“We intend to have a legislation banning (cattle) roaming however earlier than we try this, we might make provisions for the place the animals would keep,” Masari stated.