Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State has revealed that a significant portion of insecurity in the state is being driven by informants residing within local communities—not just by armed bandits hiding in forests.

Speaking during a special prayer event to mark his second anniversary in office on Thursday, Governor Radda stated that intelligence from recent security meetings indicated that only 20–30% of insecurity perpetrators operate from forest hideouts, while 70–80% live among the people as informants and collaborators.

“It is no longer just about the forests,” Radda said. “We can no longer pretend that the insecurity problem is confined solely to the forests. Much of it now lies right within our communities, and that is where your voices matter the most.”

He explained that these informants are responsible for supplying bandits with vital resources including drugs, fuel, and medical supplies. They also act as couriers, delivering ransom payments to the criminals in the forest.

“If we don’t deal with these informants living among us, we will not succeed in this fight against insecurity,” he warned. “We should all be responsible in this cause by exposing them.”

Governor Radda emphasized that the battle against insecurity requires intentional and collective action from all residents. He noted that leadership is not about prestige, but a trust and responsibility to serve the people.

“This job is not about power or prestige. The money we manage is not ours—it belongs to the people. We are just caretakers,” he said.

The governor also identified poor parental responsibility as another major contributor to rising insecurity. He criticized the trend of men fathering more children than they can care for, warning that such neglect often leads to youths becoming threats to society.

“Parents are not taking responsibility for raising their children. Religious leaders must rise and create awareness about the importance of parental guidance and lawful conduct, especially in exposing informants,” he urged.

Governor Radda concluded with a firm commitment to intensify efforts in prosecuting anyone aiding or abetting banditry. “We have primarily focused on those in the forests, but now we will shift our attention to the informants within our communities—a strategy we believe will significantly curtail insecurity.” (Vanguard)