Katsina State Deputy Governor Faruk Jobe has revealed that 26 out of the state's 34 local government areas were facing regular attacks when the Dikko Radda administration took over in 2023.
Mr Jobe shared this information on Thursday. He was representing the governor at the Second Quarter 2026 North-west Zonal Conference of State Directors of Security at the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters in Katsina.
The conference, themed "Unite Against Terror," brought together SSS directors and other security officials from across the North-west. They gathered to discuss issues like terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other security threats affecting the region.
Mr Jobe stated that 26 local government areas were under constant attack, but he claimed that the security situation had improved a lot since then.
Using Propaganda in the Fight Against Terror
Channels Television reported that Mr Jobe urged stakeholders to use propaganda to support the fight against terror. He also called on the media to be more responsible when reporting security issues.
He mentioned the rise of citizen journalism and cautioned against the careless spread of information. Yet, his comments did not clarify what kind of propaganda strategy he was suggesting. It was unclear if he wanted counter-messages against armed groups, correcting exaggerated claims about their actions, or limiting publicity around confirmed security incidents.
26 LGAs Previously Under Attack
Mr Jobe mentioned that the administration faced a much worse security situation in 2023. "When we came on board, we had about 26 local governments that were consistently under attack," he said.
He pointed out that killings, kidnappings for ransom, and related crimes were rampant then. He claimed the situation has "improved tremendously" due to both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts.
The 26-LGA figure sets a new standard for evaluating the administration’s claim of improvement. However, Katsina officials have described the areas affected by insecurity in different ways. An official Katsina State Government publication from January noted that before the 2023 elections, 19 LGAs were labeled frontline areas affected by violent banditry and kidnappings.
New Security Classifications
The terms used are not directly comparable. Mr Jobe mentioned areas that were "consistently under attack," while the January publication referred to "frontline" LGAs.
Recently, the government has classified the state’s 34 LGAs into three security categories. Nasiru Mu’azu Danmusa, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, said eight LGAs were classified as frontline, 11 as vulnerable, and 15 as crisis-free. This information was reported by The Nation on August 11.
Mr Danmusa explained that these classifications aim to help allocate security personnel, equipment, and other resources based on the level of threat in each area. However, the statement did not provide specific incident data or how the criteria for moving an LGA from frontline to vulnerable or crisis-free were determined.
Ongoing Attacks Despite Security Claims
The government's claim of significantly improved security comes amid ongoing attacks in parts of the state, including Bakori Local Government Area. On August 3, PREMIUM TIMES reported that armed attackers killed one resident, injured at least seven, and kidnapped 32 others in Shuwaki community.
One of the abducted women was later released due to illness, leaving 31 captives at the time of the report. This attack followed raids on several nearby communities from late July and happened just days after a major clash between security forces and armed groups in Guga.
Aminu Magaji, a former chairman of Bakori Local Government Area, said that repeated livestock theft had left some farmers without cattle, forcing them to work their farms manually.
On Thursday, Daily Trust reported another attack on Unguwar Aminu community in Kandarawa Ward of Bakori. In this attack, two residents were killed, four others injured, and six abducted.
Government’s Security Efforts
Mr Jobe attributed the government’s reported security improvements to working with conventional security agencies, community-based security setups, and non-kinetic interventions.
He mentioned that the government provided free medical care to victims of bandit attacks and invested in agriculture. This includes mechanization, improved seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural extension services.
He said the administration has recruited and trained 772 agricultural extension workers to assist farmers. This number matches Mr Radda's budget presentation in November 2024, where he stated the number of extension workers increased from 78 in 2023 to 772.
SSS Plans a Communiqué
Katsina State Director of the SSS Alhassan Iliasu stated that the conference would help intelligence agencies across the North-west review security challenges and develop coordinated anti-terrorism strategies.
He noted that the discussions would lead to a communiqué that would outline a plan for security agencies fighting banditry, kidnapping, and related crimes in the region, according to Channels Television.
Hussaini Abubakar, the Chairman of the North-west Forum of State Directors of Security, mentioned that the conference aimed to enhance cooperation and allow security chiefs to share experiences.
The Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade in Katsina, Ishaya Ibrahim, emphasized the need for actionable intelligence and better coordination, as reported by Vanguard. Katsina State Commissioner of Police Aliyu Fage also said that the police and SSS regularly shared intelligence to improve their response to threats.
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