Banditry: 33,000 children now orphans in Katsina – Mahdi Shehu

The Katsina State-born philanthropist and Chairman Dialogue Groups, Dr Mahdi Shehu said over 33,000 children have become orphans in Katsina State due to bandits activities.

He said in the last five years, over four thousand people have been killed, while over four thousand women have been widowed in different parts of the state.

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Mahdi, who made the comment in Kaduna at the weekend, while reacting to the planned amnesty for bandits in Katsina State said houses worth millions of naira have been burnt and destroyed by bandits within this period.

He lamented that most of the victims of the banditry across the state were not given any form of compensation but yet the state government wants to give them amnesty.

‎”What is clearly known to us is that over four thousand people have been killed, over four thousand women have been widowed.

“Over 33,000 children have been orphaned, houses worth millions have been burnt down, cattle stolen, and yet the government is talking about amnesty as if these lives mean nothing.

“No compensation, no restitution, no rehabilitation, no reconstruction, no further plan to rehabilitate and resettle them, but yet the government came up with this idea of resetting the bandits,” he said.