*Says ransom payment doesn’t guarantee safety of victims
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Worried at the rate residents of his state were dying in “a humiliating manner,” Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has urged the communities to defend themselves against bandits, promising that his administration will support terrorised communities to confront invading bandits, kidnappers, and other criminals.
Speaking at an event organised for the 2025 Citizens’ Budget Participation Process and the launching of the state’s Community Development Programmes, Governor Radda discouraged the families of kidnap victims from paying the ransom, stressing that ransom payment does not even prevent a hostage from being killed by abductors.
According to him, bandits had sometimes collected ransom and still killed their victims.
The governor said it was unhelpful for communities to depend solely on security agencies due to the remoteness of their locations.
“We have…
Source: Thisday Newspaper
