Dr. Mahdi Shehu, the Katsina-born philanthropist and Chairman Dialogue Groups, said over 33,000 children have become orphans in Katsina State due to bandits activities.
According to Mahdi, over four thousand people have been killed, while over four thousand women have been widowed in different parts of the state in the past five years.
He stated this in Kaduna while reacting to the planned amnesty for bandits by the Katsina State government. He said houses worth millions of naira have been burnt and destroyed by bandits within this period.
“What is clearly known to us is that over four thousand people have been killed, over four thousand women have been widowed.
“Over 33,000 children have been orphaned, houses worth millions have been burnt down, cattle stolen, and yet the government is talking about amnesty as if these lives mean nothing.
“No compensation, no restitution, no rehabilitation, no reconstruction, no further plan to rehabilitate and resettle them, but yet the government came up with this idea of resetting the bandits,” he said.
