alleged victims fabricated the idea to curry favour from Akwa Ibom government*

*By Ogalah Ibrahim

Katsina State Government has declared as untrue the information circulating on social and main stream media that some Akwa Ibom people residing in Katsina State were attacked and displaced by bandits, resulting in the evacuation of about 38 of the purported victims from Katsina state by the Akwa Ibom State Government.

This was disclosed on Monday at a pres briefing organized by the Katsina State Government in conjunction with some leaders of Akwa Ibom people in the state.

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The fact of the matter according to the Senior Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Katsina State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Katsina is that said those who orchestrated the plan took advantage of the insecurity situation in the state to extort money from the Akwa Ibom government.

Similarly, Obong Samson Patrick, an Akwa Ibom man, who was the pioneering Chairman of Nigeria Indigenes Resident in Katsina said the action was mischievous and intended for selfish gains. He called for the removal of the President of Akwa Ibom people in Katsina State who championed the fabrication of this falsehood.

Obong appealed to the people of the state to continue in the spirit of statesmanship and continue to maintain the peace enjoyed in the state.

Recall that Vanguard reported that Akwa Ibom State Government over the weekend evacuated from Katsina State a total of 34 of her citizens, who were stranded following attacks by bandits and insurgents in some parts of Katsina state. The purported victims had since arrived Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital since Saturday

While debunking the claim, Ibrahim said the insecurity situation in Katsina State is gradually fading away, noting that the state is becoming more stable and peaceful as the government is on top of the situation.

According to the security expert, “there is no single situation where a nonindigene has been attacked or has been subjected to the banditry situation faced in the state.”

Ibrahim also noted that most of the attack in Katsina state are community based and the government is not relenting on its efforts to be on top of the situation.

While condemning the attitude of those fond of going round creating unnecessary tension, Ibrahim appealed to every state government to reach out to the affected state government in question to confirm if there is anything of such before sending vehicles there to evacuate people over a problem that does not exist.

He said:
“We want to draw the attention of Akwa Ibom State Government and other state government to be wary of people of mischievous and questionable character trying to justify their reason for returning to their home state because of security issues.

“We want to assure the general public that Katsina State is safe and anybody that is staying in the state is safe and all of you can attest to it that in the whole of northwest no state is as stable as Katsina.
So we should be appreciated for that and not for people to be carrying and circulating the wrong information that there is general uprising and insecurity in Katsina State.”