Villagers evicted via persistent attacks by terrorists in Katsina, says Masari

By FRANCIS SARDAUNA

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has revealed that the persistent attacks by terrorists on farming communities in the state has led to the forceful eviction of many villagers in the state.

He lamented that Kankara and Faskari Local Government Areas of the state are still under persistent attacks by the terrorists due to their proximity to the forest that covers Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi States.

The governor said the state government would not relocate the affected villagers because relocating them to other communities will not only dislodge them socially but economically “which is very dangerous”.

Masari was speaking when he received the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu, at the Government House, Katsina, who was in the state on a condolence visit over the demise of the state Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovations, Dr. Rabe Nasir.

He said: “Today, at least, Faskari and Kankara Local Governments are the worst hit. Even yesterday (Saturday) there was kidnapping in Faskari Local government because of their proximity to the forest that covered Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi States.

“That is why we are having persistent and consistent attacks within that belt. Many villagers have been dislodged. Luckily enough, within the last three weeks, we saw the return of most of them and few ones that are still in their hands, we are working to see how they can return to their communities.

“But the issue before us now is restoring confidence in the minds of the people to go back to their villages because in their villages that is where they have the farms and their economic life is there.

“If you relocate them from there you are not only socially relocating them but economically dislodging them which is very dangerous.”

He added, however, that climate change is affecting the life and socio-economic activities of many villagers in the state, whom he said, were not aware of the dangers associated with it.

He explained that the state government had established 34 weather monitoring stations across the 34 local government areas of the state to tackle the menace. (THISDAY)