The Katsina State Government says bandits operating in the state are using Radio Frequency Walkie-Talkie Transceivers to beat the shutdown of telecommunications service.
In September, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ordered telecommunications companies to suspend their services in 13 local government areas of the state to curtail the activities of bandits.
Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa, said the gunmen have been unrelenting in circumventing the security measures devised to curb their activities.
“In spite of the successes recorded, however, it is worthy to note that since the commencement of the Containment Order, the bandits’ elements across the frontline local government areas have been unrelenting in devising new strategies aimed at circumventing the impact of the Containment Order.
“The strategies range from attacking motorists/motorcyclists to siphon PMS from fuel tanks, to ransacking communities and coercing villàges into sourcing PMS on their behalf. A recent and most worrisome move by the criminals is the observed acquisition of Radio Frequency Walkie-Talkie Transceivers by the bandits,” he said.
Inuwa, who is also the chairman of the security committee in the state, said security agents are, however, on the trail of bandits using walkie-talkies to circumvent moves to improve the security situation in the state.
Katsina, despite being the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari has witnessed sporadic attacks by bandits and kidnappers that have claimed the lives of many.
Over 700 people have been reportedly killed by the gunmen in Jibia, Kankara, Dutsinma, Musawa, Danmusa and Safana local government areas of the state in the last five months.
On December 11, 2020, some bandits kidnapped 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, while Buhari was on a visit to the state. They were released about a week later.
Also on December 19, 84 Islamiyya students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya in Mahuta village, in the Dandume Local Government Area of the state were abducted but rescued shortly after.
