Rustlers return 107 AK47, 267 Dane guns, renounce banditry

No fewer than 1,500 repentant cattle rustlers and bandits have surrendered their firearms and renounced banditry in Katsina State.

About 104 AK47 riffles, 267 Dane guns and ammunition have so far been tendered as evidence to an amnesty program initiated by the state government.

Speaking on the occasion yesterday, Governor Aminu Masari commended the repented bandits and assured them of government’s readiness to provide them with basic social amenities for their wellbeing.

He said that already, 486 children of the repentant rustlers who had indicated interest in joining school would soon commence and government was establishing not only schools but clinics, dams, and ranch for their upkeep.

He said it was paramount for all to key into the government’s drive of ensuring peaceful coexistence, adding that people must be open and accept all those that renounce their past deeds.

In his remarks, chairman of the state Dialogue and Amnesty program and Secretary to the State Government Mustapha Inuwa stressed the need for forgiveness amongst people, saying that several lives had been lost in the past and it was time to forge ahead.

He said the coming of the APC administration and the zeal it had shown towards addressing the challenges had led to the recovery of 28,170 rustled animals out of which 24,560 had so far been returned to their owners.

On their part, the repented rustlers and bandits, speaking through one Alti Nadayi, promised to sustain their end of the bargain and called on others yet to surrender to do so.

Since the assumption of the Masari administration, about N1.4 billion has been expended in addressing security related issues especially that of cattle rustling in the state.