Katsina government denies sponsoring bandits for Hajj — but the question remains

Security analyst Bashir Kurfi dropped a bombshell yesterday on Trust TV's Daily Politics. He alleged that the Katsina State Government spent about ₦10 million each to sponsor notorious bandit leaders for Hajj. He even named one of them, a commander called Manuri, and claimed the government knows the identities and locations of several others.

The government, through Commissioner Nasir Mu'azu, has called the allegation entirely baseless and politically motivated. They challenged Kurfi to produce credible evidence and threatened legal action. But here is the thing — Kurfi also alleged that peace deals have given these bandits freedom of movement, that communities were told not to touch them even if they attacked people in Kaduna, provided they did not attack in Katsina.

So which is it? Is the government genuinely fighting banditry, or is there a security economy that benefits political actors? Kurfi did not provide evidence for the Hajj claim, but the pattern of negotiating with armed groups across the North-west raises serious questions. If public funds are being used to reward criminals, who is really protecting whom?