Former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has stated that banditry in Katsina State predates modern times, explaining that documented accounts trace the crime to as far back as 1891.
Mohammed made the remark while reflecting on discussions around insecurity in the state, recalling a town hall meeting held in Katsina during the tenure of former governor Aminu Masari, where the historical roots of banditry were highlighted.
According to him:
“We had a town hall meeting in Katsina, and the first thing the then governor, Aminu Masari, told us was that the first recorded history of banditry in Katsina was in 1891. So people who think it is a later development or a Buhari administration development have gotten it all wrong.”
He further argued that banditry should not be narrowly understood as kidnapping alone, noting that the phenomenon is largely driven by struggles over limited resources.
“People must see banditry beyond kidnapping. Banditry is actually about resources,” he said.
