Even before his election into office, the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, made fighting insecurity one of his major priorities. His idea of establishing a Community Watch was indeed well received within, and even outside the state, because of the killings, abductions, rustling and other forms of violence in the state and beyond.
Many believed the corps would complement the efforts of conventional security agencies such as the police and the army in fighting the bandits terrorising the state. Things were so bad, life was brought to a standstill as peace and security eluded several communities in more than 20 of the 34 LGAs of the state.
Indeed, Katsina State, according to an independent research conducted by this newspaper, lost not less than 120 human lives and experienced 148 cases of kidnapping from January to October 15, this year. For instance, in January, in Jajar Kanwa community in Jibia LGA, three persons were killed and three others kidnapped, 71 vigilantes from Unguwar Gamji, Jargaba, Gidan Gago, Gidan Alhaji Audu Gari and Gidan Shirai communities in Bakori and Kankara LGAs were also killed while on a mission to retrieve rustled cattle.
On February 2, 21 people were killed by bandits in Danmarke, Gidan Sale, Gidan Sarka, Gidan Jiho and Gidan Ancho communities in Kankara LGA. The bandits struck again in Danmusa town, headquarters of Danmusa LGA, where nine people were killed and 10 injured, including Dauda Mai Iyali, a former chairman of the local government.
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Specifically, on October 10, 2023, Governor Radda launched the Katsina State Community Watch Corps after securing the requisite legal backing. At the graduation ceremony to commission the first batch of 1,456 trainees, the state government handed over 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), 70 Toyota Hilux vans and 700 motorcycles for use by the members of corps to facilitate their patrols into the nooks and crannies of their communities.
While addressing the corps, Governor Radda harped on the need for them to be of good conduct and conduct their assignments in a responsible manner.
He said, “You are not just protectors, but also role models, mediators and pillars of support. Your uniform is a symbol of hope, assurance and trustworthiness.”
The Chairman of the corps, Maj Gen Jinaidu Sani Bindawa (Rtd), noted that, “We have trained them and they are willing to go and assist their communities in mitigating insecurity. I want to inform the chairmen of the LGAs that those civilians you gave to us have been transformed into disciplined, organised and well-behaved individuals.”
Sadly, not long after this inspiring remark, a report emerged accusing the corps of the extra judicial killing of Alhaji Hamza Abdullahi Zakka, a former caretaker committee chairman of Safana LGA. According to one of the wives of the deceased, Jamila Hamza, she heard that members of the Community Watch were planning to kill her husband and that she immediately informed him on getting home and that he, in turn, informed the corps in his area but was assured that nothing of such was in the works.
She said that not satisfied with the response of the corps’ commander, her husband took refuge in the house of his friend and neighbour who later went on to inform the leader that the principal target was in his house.
She further said, “Not quite long, the officers of the corps surrounded the house and abducted my husband, took him out of town and shot him thrice, along with two others.”
She also alleged that after killing him the family was not allowed to go near his corpse to give him a proper burial.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Zakka Community Development Association (ZACODA), Alhaji Musa Usman, said nobody in the entire town could openly state that the slain politician and royal family member had committed a particular crime.
The family and ZACODA, therefore, called for justice for their murdered son.
While the case will require a thorough investigation, we at Daily Trust believe that no suspect should be punished without recourse to the law. The Katsina State Government, Governor Radda, to be precise, must not allow this commendable idea of Community Watch Corps to be used in a manner that will be condemnable. Members of the corps must be well-informed of their brief and limitations. Both those already recruited and those about to be recruited must be equipped with the right orientation.
The leadership of the corps should work closely with the police in the area of investigation and prosecution. They must never allow members to see themselves as having absolute powers. It is equally important for them to maintain professionalism and respect rules of engagement at all times.
We also call for a legal and prosecution unit for the corps. Every law enforcement agency, whether at the national or community level, must have a prosecution unit for prosecuting offenders according to the law. In the absence of that, there must be a framework for the Community Watch to work with the police or other security agencies to prosecute those who are suspected of committing crime.
Meanwhile, all those found wanting in the extra judicial killing cited above must be punished appropriately to serve as a deterrent to others.
