Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has inaugurated the Katsina State Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Peace and Security Committee as part of efforts to strengthen peacebuilding and tackle insecurity.
The committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Muhammadu Buhari House in Katsina under the framework of the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Radda said the initiative aligns with a nationwide strategy aimed at promoting sustainable peace, stability and development through coordinated community-based interventions.
He said the programme emerged from consultations organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre in partnership with the United Kingdom Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (UK-SPRING) Programme across the six geopolitical zones.
He said Katsina was selected as one of the pilot states because of its commitment to non-kinetic approaches and community engagement in addressing insecurity.
The governor explained that the committee would oversee disarmament, rehabilitation, reintegration and peacebuilding programmes designed to encourage individuals and groups willing to renounce violence.
‘The committee is mandated to advise the state government and security council on issues relating to disarmament, reintegration and peacebuilding,’ he said.
The committee is chaired by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Abdullahi Garba Faskari, and includes representatives of security agencies, traditional institutions, religious leaders and civil society groups.
Meanwhile, the state government has assumed responsibility for the treatment and medical expenses of victims injured in recent banditry attacks across the state.
This was disclosed during a sympathy and assessment visit by the state committee on victims of banditry to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, where several injured victims are receiving treatment.
The committee, constituted by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, was led by Yusuf Ibrahim Safana alongside other members.
Speaking during the visit, Safana said the government remained committed to supporting residents affected by insecurity and would not allow victims to bear treatment costs alone.
He explained that the committee was established to identify victims, assess their conditions and ensure government assistance reaches those in need.
According to him, Governor Radda directed the committee to monitor the treatment of victims and ensure they receive adequate medical care and humanitarian support.