Governor Aminu Bello Masari has requested the Nigerian Air Force to order officers and men of the force to flush out motorcyclists moving in the night in the Forests of Katsina State.
Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari made this request when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Sadiq Baba Abubakar at the Headquarters of the Air Force in Garki, Abuja.
The Governor told the Air chief that Government had last week issued an executive order banning the use of motorcycles in Katsina State from 7pm to 6am.
He explained that motorcyclists seen in the night, especially in the forests must be shot at once as they constitute the real bandits.
He expressed the confidence that since the executive order came into effect, cases of kidnappings had been reduced in the state.
He used the visit to thank and appreciate the Airforce for contributing towards the fight against banditry, kidnappings, armed robbery and other vices in the Rugu forests bordering Zamfara and Kaduna states.
Alhaji Aminu Masari recalled that since the establishment of the presence of the Airforce in Katsina and Daura, officers and Men have been working day and night, stressing that they have established contacts with the locals to the extent that before even the state Government knew, they are already in the Air.
He also reminded the chief of Air staff that Government had since made available land for the construction of its Secondary School but the school is yet to take off.
Responding, the chief of Air staff expressed gratitude to Governor Masari for the visit and went ahead to appreciate the initiative in Katsina state that involves banning motorcyclists in the night, adding that the Force would support measures to deal with banditry in the state.
He assured that Nigerian Airforce would continue to do everything possible to protect the territory and that nobody undermine the security in not only Katsina state, the North West and Nigeria at large.
Air Vice Marshall Sadiq told Governor Masari that the Force would increase number of personnel in the North-West, especially Katsina, Daura and Gusau.
He said Kebbi state is now being monitored to ensure that the entire North West is being looked after by the Force.
The Airforce, he said had provided a spot for fueling in Gusau while helicopter landing facility had been made available in Birnin Magaji.
On the establishment of a Secondary School in Katsina, he said by the first quarter of this year, education officers of the Airforce would be made to put the land into use.
In the whole of North West Zone, he said that the Force had two secondary schools in Kano and Kaduna, assuring that the secondary School in Katsina will soon take off in the first week of February, this year.
He also announced that the Force would soon take delivery of three additional helicopters in February to help secure the country.