The Katsina State Government on Tuesday released a press statement highlighting the approvals of its Executive Council under Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda. The release, signed by Chief Press Secretary Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, proudly detailed projects ranging from the digital upgrade of Katsina State Television (KTTV), procurement of educational textbooks, completion of the Katsina State Transport Authority (KSTAA) Modern Terminal, and the leasing of Malumfashi Motel to private investors.
Conspicuously absent from the long list of council decisions, however, was any mention of security—the single most pressing issue tormenting Katsina State today.
This omission is not a minor oversight. Katsina, by every credible report, is one of the worst-hit states in Nigeria’s battle against insecurity. Armed bandits, kidnappers, and terrorist gangs continue to unleash havoc across communities. Governor Radda himself has admitted that 26 out of 34 Local Government Areas remain unsafe, yet the government’s press release chose to trumpet transmitters, motels, and textbooks while remaining silent on the bloodshed consuming the state.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently reported that over 270,000 people in Katsina have been displaced by insecurity and other disasters, with more than 36,000 households uprooted. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised the alarm that at least 652 children died of malnutrition in Katsina between January and June 2025, a grim figure directly linked to displaced farming communities who can no longer produce food due to relentless attacks. Reuters further noted a 208% rise in cases of severe malnutrition compared to the previous year.
Even more tragically, Katsina has witnessed repeated mass killings. Only weeks ago, at least 50 worshippers were slaughtered in Unguwan Mantau mosque during evening prayers. In another case, a military airstrike in Kankara rescued 76 hostages from bandits, but one child lost his life in the crossfire. These are not isolated incidents; they are the lived reality of ordinary people across Katsina, who now view their villages as war zones.
And yet, in the face of these grim statistics, the state government’s flagship announcements revolve around:
- A 5KW digital transmitter and solar power system for KTTV,
- Closure of unapproved tertiary centres,
- Procurement of customized textbooks,
- Completion of a transport terminal,
- Leasing of motels to private investors.
None of these projects, important as they may be in normal times, address the elephant in the room: insecurity is crippling Katsina. Roads are unsafe, farmers cannot access their fields, and rural schools remain abandoned because families have fled banditry. What use are new textbooks when thousands of children cannot even reach their classrooms? What good are leased motels when tourists and investors dare not enter villages without fear of abduction?
Governor Radda’s administration calls this the “Building Your Future Agenda,” but for many in Katsina, the future is uncertain, and survival is a daily struggle. The press release showcases a government eager to polish its image with shiny infrastructure and asset deals, while its people continue to bury their dead, flee their homes, and watch their children waste away from hunger.
Good governance demands priorities rooted in reality. For Katsina, the number one priority is obvious: restoring security, peace, and dignity to its people. Every other policy—whether in media, education, transport, or commerce—must revolve around that foundation. Without safety, no investment can thrive, no school can function, and no community can prosper.
The Katsina State Executive Council’s silence on insecurity is not just an omission; it is an indictment. It reveals a government either unwilling or unable to confront the truth of its people’s suffering. At a time when the state is drowning in blood, displacement, and hunger, to focus on transmitters and motels is to abandon the people to their fate.
Katsina deserves better.