Since assuming office in 2023, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, Ph.D., CON, has placed security at the core of his administration’s agenda, guided by his “Building Your Future Strategic Policy” (BYFSP) blueprint. Two years into his tenure, Katsina State has witnessed notable progress, particularly in efforts to confront widespread banditry and insecurity that once threatened over 80% of the state.
Before Radda’s emergence, Katsina faced violent banditry across 19 frontline Local Government Areas (LGAs), displacing communities, crippling agriculture, and leaving citizens in fear. On taking office, the governor launched a dual-pronged approach to the crisis: kinetic (military and enforcement-based) measures and non-kinetic (community-based and developmental) strategies.
Among his non-kinetic achievements was the creation of the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs (MISHA), a first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to internal security coordination. The administration also established the Katsina State Community Security Watch Corps (KSCSWC), recruiting over 2,000 members to support operations in hard-hit LGAs, while appointing special advisers to oversee community security and IDP welfare. At the grassroots, thousands of Ward-Level Security Support Groups were mobilized to promote surveillance and peacebuilding.
On the kinetic side, the government equipped operatives with Armoured Personnel Carriers, patrol vehicles, motorcycles, drones, combat gear, and communication devices, while engaging vigilante groups and hunters for local intelligence. Monthly logistics support was also approved to sustain operations.
To complement these measures, the Radda administration convened a Northwestern Security Summit with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), producing a roadmap for regional collaboration and intelligence-sharing against cross-border threats.
These efforts have yielded results: farming has resumed in reclaimed areas, attacks have reduced in frequency, and many previously ungovernable communities are back under state control. Yet, challenges persist, and sacrifices continue to be made on the frontlines.
Reflecting on the governor’s approach, MS Ingawa, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, posed a thought-provoking question:
“If you were in the shoes of Governor Dikko Radda, what would you have done differently?”
The piece underscores that governance, particularly in crisis situations, is not only about outcomes but also about building institutions and systems that endure beyond any administration.
Reported by: Stone Reporters News
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