Breaking: In Katsina, residents are chanting war songs, turning back motorists

Many youths Tuesday morning blocked the ever busy Kankara – Katsina road around Yantumaki village in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State protesting the rising insecurity in their areas. The youths, chanting war songs, set fire on the road while turning back motorists and other road users from passing through their village.

DailyTrust Newspaper reports that, Hundreds of motorists had to abandon the route to access Katsina town or Gusau in Zamfara State for ?safety. The action of the youths was coming a day after a health worker, Mansir Yusuf, and his daughter were kidnapped from the community.

Also, last week, the district head of the area, Atiku Maidabino, was killed by unidentified gunmen at his palace. The locals said hardly a day goes by without any reported attack on the community or its neighbouring villages.

Similarly, the residents of Daddara community and neighbouring villages of Jibia local government area, last month, blocked the Katsina – Jibia- Maradi (Niger Republic) international gateway in protest over the unabated killings and attacks by bandits in their domain. It took the intervention of policemen and some traditional rulers from the area to calm the youths leading to the reopening of the road at about midday.

No fewer than 12 district heads from Katsina’s eight troubled local government areas have threatened relocation following the rising insecurity in their respective domains.

Daily Trust reports that the district heads are those from; Jibia, Safana, Dandume, Faskari, Sabuwa, Kankara, Danmusa and Batsari. The affected district heads on Monday stormed the palace of the emir of Katsina, Abdulmumin Kabir Usman, to “protest” the continued unabated attacks on their domains by bandits.

The districts heads also told the emir that their lives were at risk, especially with the recent cold blood murder of their colleague, the district head of Yantumaki, late Atiku Maidabino last week. Maidabino was killed in front of his wives and children by his assailants.