KATSINA — Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced sweeping new security measures, including a statewide ban on the sale, purchase, transportation and storage of petroleum products in jerrycans, as part of efforts to curb banditry and kidnapping across the state.
The directives, contained in a new Executive Order issued after an emergency security meeting with security agencies, traditional rulers and other key stakeholders, took immediate effect.
The governor also ordered the immediate closure of all Point of Sale (POS) businesses and commercial phone charging centres in Matazu and Musawa Local Government Areas following security reports that the facilities were being exploited by criminal elements to facilitate their operations.
In a further move to restrict the activities of bandits and kidnappers, Governor Radda imposed a total ban on the use of motorcycles in Matazu and Musawa Local Government Areas, noting that motorcycles have become the preferred means of transportation for criminal groups operating in the affected areas.
According to the governor, the ban on petroleum products in jerrycans is aimed at preventing fuel from being diverted to criminal hideouts in remote locations, thereby weakening the operational capacity of bandits.
Governor Radda said the safety and security of residents remain the highest priority of his administration, stressing that the government would continue to work closely with security agencies to restore lasting peace throughout the state.
He urged residents to cooperate fully with security agencies by complying with the new directives and providing credible intelligence that could assist ongoing security operations.
The governor also warned that anyone found violating the Executive Order would face the full weight of the law, stressing that the government would not treat offenders with leniency.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to taking all lawful and necessary measures to safeguard lives and property and ensure that communities across Katsina State remain peaceful, secure and conducive for economic and social activities.
