Katsina Government Identifies Community Informants as Major Aides of Bandit Attacks

The Katsina State Government has disclosed that many of the bandit attacks across the state are being actively supported by informants and individuals from within the affected communities, who supply the criminals with food, fuel, drugs, and critical intelligence.

This revelation was made on Thursday by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Nasir Mu’azu, during a press briefing on the escalating security situation in Katsina. According to Mu’azu, while armed bandits carry out physical attacks, a significant portion of the insecurity is enabled by collaborators living among the civilian population.

Mu’azu explained that security operations have repeatedly been undermined due to the activities of these informants, who collaborate with criminals either for personal gain or under duress. He described these individuals as an internal threat that is even more damaging than the external attacks.

“In one of the communities affected by the insecurity, a man was found to be selling a bottle of Coca-Cola for ₦3,000; another sold fuel for ₦5,000 per litre to the bandits,” Mu’azu said.

He went on to say that some community members are involved in selling illicit drugs to bandits hiding in forest enclaves, turning the insecurity crisis into a profit-driven enterprise for a small number of people.

The commissioner highlighted particularly disturbing examples of betrayal and direct collusion, including a case where a man arranged the abduction of his own father in exchange for money. According to Mu’azu, the father, a diabetic patient, was abducted by bandits who were already prepared with diabetic medication to keep him alive while demanding ransom.

“In another case, we found a man who connived with bandits to abduct his biological father, who was diabetic. When the bandits brought him to their hideout, they had already reserved diabetic tablets for his daily consumption. The sum of ₦30 million was paid as ransom for the man, and ₦8 million was given to the son for compromising and allowing his father to be abducted,” Mu’azu disclosed.

Beyond direct supply and abduction facilitation, the commissioner revealed that informants also sabotage military efforts, particularly those of the Nigerian Air Force. He said some community members alert bandits as soon as NAF jets take off for airstrikes, allowing the criminals to retreat to safety before being targeted.

“The jets often end up not reaching their target because some members of the communities allow the criminals to hide under them,” Mu’azu said.

He noted that while armed confrontations and raids conducted by the bandits account for just about 20 percent of the overall security problem, the support structure provided by informants is a far more complex and persistent threat.

Despite these challenges, the Katsina government says it has made measurable progress in addressing insecurity through military operations across several local government areas. However, Mu’azu stressed that long-term success depends on the active cooperation of residents in the affected areas.

He called on citizens to share actionable intelligence with the security agencies, assuring them that such reports would be handled with strict confidentiality. He also emphasized the importance of community-based support in preventing bandits from exploiting local networks.

“Addressing insecurity in Katsina can only be effective when there is cooperation from affected communities,” the commissioner said.

The latest statement by the government reflects growing frustration with the internal dynamics of the security crisis, which continues to threaten lives, livelihoods, and social stability across many parts of northern Nigeria. Katsina, the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been among the worst-hit states in the northwest region by banditry and rural violence.

Efforts by the federal government and military to curb the violence have included coordinated ground and aerial offensives, but progress has been limited due to the entrenched nature of informant networks and logistical support systems operating within rural communities.

Security experts argue that without a fundamental shift in the loyalty and trust structures within these local populations, it will be difficult to defeat banditry solely through military means.