By; IMRANA ABDULLAHI, Kaduna
The Community Watch Corps that was trained and inaugurated by Katsina State Government under Governor Dikko Umar Raɗɗa, to complement efforts of conventional security agencies in the fight against banditry in the state, has been described as more effective than the existing security forces, from the Army to the Police and other officials.
Member of the Katsina State House of Assembly representing Charanci Local Government Area, Honorable Lawal Isa Kuraye, who spoke to our correspondent in Kaduna, described the members as the ranks of professionals who have received more training and experience, assuring that the outfit is safe.
Kuraye added that the volunteer security officers have received special training on combat tactics from the gallant security personnel as well as retired officers and experts from Katsina State, who are passionate and steadfast in ensuring security in the state.
According to him, “Governor Dikko Raɗɗa has long been worried about the deteriorated security system in Katsina State, which made him make the security issue the cornerstone of his campaign; and that is why he is already recording success in his administration at this early stage.
” He started with boldly tackling the security issue headlong and solving it together with the people of Katsina State, which Nigerians as a whole can testify to today”. He said.
The House member said, during the inauguration ceremony, security officials from in and outside the state attended the launching ceremony, which included former President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger and Kebbi states, who are also experiencing security problems as well as the leaders of the entire Nigerian security chiefs, who all praised the governor’s hard work.
“This made the Government of Sokoto State to send its representatives to Katsina, where they met with the Speaker of the Katsina Assembly and the members of the Assembly to acquire the knowledge on the ways that the state followed towards successfully launching the security outfit.
” In this regard, the House of Assembly gave them the draft law that they used to achieve the success of the programme, which they returned to Sokoto State to also emulate”. He informed.
Lawal Kuraye described Governor Dikko Raɗɗa as a role model for his colleagues, especially the Northern Governors, saying that as long as there will be cooperation in providing internal security officers in every state in the 19 states of the North, there is no doubt that the security problem will soon be a thing of the past.
Regarding the complaints made by some people who attribute the creation of security outfit with politics, Kuraye said that those who say this are only making broad statements, because according to him, the governor was also affected by the security problem, whereby his constituency was attacked by the bandits who kidnapped his brother and who subsequently lost his life; because of this, the situation has been bordering him for long.
And that is why he made it his priority to solve the problem even before he took over power and since then, he has began the implementation of his plan towards tackling the insecurity bedeviling the state.
According to him, “The security outfit’s operatives were recruited from all the 34 local government areas of Katsina State, adding that most of them have experienced several insecurity issues from the bandits, with some having had their families killed, some have had their wives abducted, some have had their towns destroyed, all because of this.
“I can assure you that they all have this desire in their hearts to revenge these atrocities, and when the government came into the situation, it gave them more motivation. So they will face the terrorists with passion, which will achieve great success”. He assured.
The House member called on the people of Katsina State to give more support to Governor Dikko Raɗɗa, by including him in their prayers to take the state forward and achieve the desired success.
It would be recalled that the Katsîna State Government, last week, deployed 1,466 newly-trained community watch corps officers to seven frontline local government areas of the state to tackle security challenges along with conventional security operatives.
