Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, has announced plans to acquire drones and more supplies in order to improve surveillance and quick reaction operations throughout the areas that border Katsina, where bandit assaults have increased recently.
Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the governor’s spokesperson, reportedly made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement claims that Yusuf made this revelation while on an evaluation trip of three Joint Task Force bases in Tsanyawa and Shanono Local Government Areas, both of which had recently experienced coordinated bandit incursions.
The governor’s visit followed months of rising tension along the Kano-Katsina corridor, with numerous incursions by armed groups putting communities in terror and requiring strengthened multi-agency deployments.
Yusuf claimed the state administration was taking urgent efforts to avert additional carnage.
“We are aware that they have been attacking innocent communities, especially here in Tsanyawa and Shanono Local Government Areas. Many innocent lives were taken away, and many innocent people were also banished to the bush,” he said.
“For surveillance and rapid response to protect inhabitants of the border areas,” he continued, the state would shortly purchase drones and related logistics.
The governor urged citizens of the impacted areas to assist law enforcement by offering useful information about bandit movements.
He further claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had replied positively when briefed on the increasing circumstances and the need for federal help.
Yusuf urged JTF operatives to strengthen efforts to rescue citizens kidnapped in the recent attacks.
“I assure you that by God’s grace, those who were kidnapped will be brought back to their families,” he stated.
The governor added that his visit was intended at acquiring first-hand information of the situation, talking directly with operatives, and urging them to remain committed to the current operations.
Describing the recent incidents as unprecedented, Yusuf said: “This type of insecurity in Kano State is something new; it is something alien that has just been observed in the state, and the government is doing its best to address the situation with the cooperation of security agencies.”
He assured the troops that his administration will continue to give welfare support to security forces working at the forefront.
During the evaluation tour, the governor met families of kidnapped victims and condoled with them, assuring them that continuous efforts to achieve the release of their loved ones were being reinforced.
It was revealed that recent attacks in the two councils resulted in the kidnapping of between five and 10 persons, while a woman was slain in one of the cases.
