The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Inuwa Mohammed, on Thursday, disclosed that bandits killed 213 people and abducted 676 others in the state in three months.
Mohammad, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Kaduna, said the cases were recorded between July and October this year.
He added that the bandits also siphoned fuel from motorists and motorcyclists and forced them to buy from them.
The media briefing was organized by the state government to brief the residents on the Security Containment Order issued by Governor Aminu Masari two months ago.
The governor had issued the Containment Order in a bid to check the activities of bandits in the state.
The SSG expressed optimism that security operatives were up to the task of tackling the criminals.
He said 2,023 cows, 452 sheep, 279 goats, and 13 donkeys were rustled by criminals during the period.
Inuwa disclosed that 724 suspects were arrested from March to September, adding that 75 of them were under investigation and 296 others facing trial.
The SSG said: “A recent and most worrisome move by the criminals is the observed acquisition of Radio Frequency Walkie Talkie Transreceivers by the bandits which they have started using. Security agencies are however on their trail to bringing the malpractice to an end.
“The Containment Order is a child of necessity and has not been put in place to hurt or cause hardship to citizens of the state.”
