The abduction of retired former Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Maharazu Tsiga, has taken a new turn with the revelation that informants played a key role in the kidnapping.
According to Alhaji Ali Mai-Chitta, Chairman of Bakori Local Government Council, informants have formed an alliance with bandits to facilitate their criminal activities.
Mai-Chitta disclosed that bandits rely on informants to gather information needed to carry out their crimes. “If not for informants, how would bandits have known that Gen. Tsiga was in town, let alone come to abduct him?” he asked. The Chairman’s statement sheds light on the complexities of the security challenges facing the region.
Gen. Tsiga’s abduction occurred last week in Tsiga village, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.¹ The incident has sparked widespread concern, and security agencies are working to rescue the retired general and eight other kidnapped victims. Mai-Chitta assured that the security agencies are on top of the situation, but refused to disclose details of the ongoing rescue efforts.
Despite the challenges, the Katsina State Government has made significant investments in combating armed banditry and kidnapping. According to Mai-Chitta, the governor has launched the Community Watch Corps, which has been effective in tackling the menace. “Banditry has reduced by about eighty percent in Bakori Local Government Area,” he noted.
The reduction in banditry is a welcome development, but the role of informants in facilitating kidnappings remains a concern. Mai-Chitta’s revelation highlights the need for increased vigilance and cooperation between security agencies and local communities to combat the scourge of banditry.
As the search for Gen. Tsiga and the other kidnapped victims continues, the people of Katsina State remain hopeful that the security agencies will soon rescue them and bring the perpetrators to justice.