Mustapha Inuwa, the former Secretary to the Katsina State Government and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused the state government of overseeing a security framework that has degenerated into widespread abuse.
Mr Inuwa served in the Katsina State administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua as Commissioner for Education and briefly as Secretary to the State Government (SSG)—a role he would later resume for eight years under Governor Aminu Masari.
At the height of the banditry crisis, Mr Inuwa was the face of the state’s controversial amnesty programme, personally venturing into bandit enclaves to negotiate peace treaties. This earned him both praise for his courage and criticism when the deals eventually ccollapsed. Mr Inuwa left his government role in 2022 to run in the APC governorship primary but was defeated by Dikko Radda, who went to win the 2023 election.
Now a chieftain of the opposition ADC, Mr Inuwa has reinvented himself as the Radda administration’s fiercest critic. Drawing upon his decades of experience and intimate knowledge of the state’s security machinery, he argues that the current government’s strategy—heavily reliant on state-backed vigilantes (the Community Watch Corps), is a dangerous gamble that has worsened the violence he once tried to quell.
In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Inuwa alleged that despite increased federal allocations and heavy security spending, insecurity has worsened, peace agreements have collapsed, and state-backed vigilante groups now operate with little restraint in some communities.
SECURITY — FEDERAL FAILURE, STATE COMPLICITY
Mr Inuwa said insecurity remains the most pressing challenge facing Katsina and much of northern Nigeria.
“Security is primarily the responsibility of the federal government. They control the armed forces, the police, and all the security agencies,” he said. “If the federal government is committed, insecurity can be ended within three to six months.”
He disagreed with the argument that funding is the main obstacle, insisting that the crisis persists because of weak political decision-making.
“This is not about money. It is about political will,” Mr Inuwa said. “The security agencies are not being allowed to do what is necessary.”
According to him, security forces have failed to confront armed groups decisively, particularly in forested areas where many attacks originate.
“They don’t go beyond two or three kilometres into the forest. They stay on the roadside and wait. That is not how you deal with this problem,” he said.
He added that Katsina State now receives significantly more funds from the Federation Account than during previous administrations, giving it greater capacity to support security operations.
“This government is lucky. There is more money now than before. Resources are coming in,” he said.
SECURITY SPENDING — ₦36BN AND ALLEGATIONS OF MISUSE
Mr Inuwa alleged that despite unprecedented security spending by the Katsina State Government, there has been little improvement on the ground.
“In less than two years, this government said it spent N36 billion on security,” he said. “During our time, we spent about N7 billion in seven years.”
This expenditure, officially confirmed as N36,865,034,376.76 by Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal-Jobe in April 2025, includes joint funding from the state and its 34 local governments for items such as 10 armoured personnel carriers, 65 Toyota Hilux vehicles, and 700 motorcycles, along with other logistics and equipment.
It aligns with allocations in the state’s 2025 budget, which earmarked over N15 billion for security-related recurrent and capital costs, including intelligence, ammunitions, and the Community Security Watch Corps.
According to him, the scale of the expenditure raises serious questions about accountability and outcomes.
“What exactly do you do with N36 billion in less than two years?” he asked. “Nothing clearly shows on ground.”
Mr Inuwa alleged that insecurity has become a channel for corruption, claiming that some actors benefit financially from the persistence of violence.
“Some people are taking advantage of this situation to siphon money,” he said. “That is why some do not want this problem to end.”
He argued that if the funds were properly utilised, the security situation would not have deteriorated to its current state.
PEACE DEALS — WHAT WORKED, WHAT FAILED
Mr Inuwa defended aspects of the dialogue and amnesty programme pursued during previous administrations, saying it produced temporary stability but ultimately failed due to lack of regional coordination.
He recalled that on January 15, 2017, armed groups surrendered more than 400 firearms in Kankara as part of negotiations with the Katsina State Government.
“On the first day alone, over 400 different firearms were surrendered,” he said. “The weapons were publicly destroyed under international supervision.”
According to him, the initiative yielded relative calm for about two years.
“For two years, things were normal. Roads that were previously inaccessible became passable. Some of them relocated to towns, enrolled their children in schools, and pursued legitimate businesses,” he said.
However, Mr Inuwa said the programme collapsed because Katsina acted alone while neighbouring states did not participate.
“Zamfara and Kaduna were not part of the negotiation. Those who did not accept the deal continued attacking those who accepted it. Eventually, they had to return to the forests,” he said.
By contrast, he criticised the current administration’s approach, arguing that recent negotiations lack any meaningful disarmament.
“Now, no firearms have been collected. Instead, these people move freely with arms in broad daylight and control villages,” he said. “That is not peace.”
“VIGILANTES WORSE THAN BANDITS”
Mr Inuwa made some of his most serious allegations against the state-backed Community Security Watch, also known as Yan Sakai, accusing some of its members of widespread abuses, including extrajudicial killings.
“In some places, what the Katsina State Watch is doing is worse than what the bandits are doing,” he said.
According to him, members of the vigilante group carry out killings over minor disputes unrelated to security.
“A small argument, an issue of debt, even a girlfriend matter — they will come and shoot you,” Mr Inuwa alleged. “They slaughter people like rams.”
He further accused some members of extortion and theft.
“They seize people’s livestock, especially cows, and destroy property,” he said.
Mr Inuwa also questioned the recruitment and training of the vigilante operatives.
“Many of them have no training. Some are people with questionable backgrounds,” he alleged.
DETENTIONS, COURTS, AND CONTRADICTIONS
On the prolonged detention of relatives of suspected bandits, Mr Inuwa acknowledged the practice but shifted responsibility to the judiciary, saying once suspects are arraigned, the matter lies with the courts.
“If somebody is arrested and taken to court, it is the court that determines his innocence or otherwise,” he said. “The government has no business there again.”
However, when reminded that some detainees have reportedly been held for two to four years — including during previous administrations — Mr Inuwa maintained that judicial processes should have addressed such cases.
“If people were arrested and taken to court, then it is for the court to pursue the matter and determine the truth of the allegation,” he said.
He did not directly address questions about why relatives of suspects were detained in the first place or why such cases lingered for years without resolution.
However, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the Chief Judge of Katsina State, Justice Musa Abubakar, absolve the judiciary of blame over the matter.
According to the chief judge, such prolonged detention is rarely the result of judicial obstruction, but instead of systemic failures within investigative and prosecutorial institutions.
Mr Abubakar cited slow police investigations, delayed legal advice from prosecuting authorities, and weak coordination between security agencies and the Ministry of Justice as key factors clogging the justice system.
“In many cases, the courts are simply not given files that are ready for trial,” the chief judge said, noting that judges can only act on matters properly brought before them.”
PRISONER RELEASES, SWAP DEALS, AND RENEWED VIOLENCE
Mr Inuwa criticised the recent proposed release of suspected bandits by the state government, which officials described as part of a swap deal that led to the release of abducted victims.
While acknowledging that freeing captives was important, he said it should not be framed as an achievement.
“Releasing abducted victims is not a favour,” he said. “They were innocent people whose rights were violated in the first place.”
However, he insisted that releasing suspected bandits without disarmament only deepens insecurity.
“If you release these people and allow them to retain their weapons, you are adding fuel to the fire,” Mr Inuwa said. “That is not a peace deal.”
According to him, any genuine negotiation must prioritise total disarmament.
“If they must be released, let them surrender all their firearms — without exception,” he said. “Without that, forget about peace.”
He warned that agreements reached from what he described as a position of weakness were unlikely to endure.
“When criminals dictate the terms of negotiation, that is surrender,” he added.
BUDGET PRIORITIES — EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY
Asked what he would prioritise if he were setting Katsina State’s budget, Mr Inuwa said education must come first.
“Education is key to development,” he said. “From primary to tertiary level, that is where government must focus.”
He argued that long-term investment in education was essential for economic growth and social mobility.
“In every society, education is the foundation of progress,” he said.
Mr Inuwa also emphasised the importance of creating an enabling environment for private enterprise, noting that most citizens depend on private economic activity for survival.
“More than 90 per cent of people survive through private businesses,” he said. “If you create the right environment for them to flourish, prosperity follows.”
According to him, sustained investment in education and the private sector would reduce dependence on government jobs and ease social pressures.
POLITICS, PARTIES, AND 2027
Responding to criticism over his movement across political parties, Mr Inuwa said Nigeria’s political parties lack ideology and internal democracy, making defection commonplace.
“In Nigeria today, parties are not built on ideology,” he said. “They are platforms for elections. APC, PDP, ADC — they are just alphabets.”
He argued that internal party processes are often controlled by a few individuals, leaving little room for participation.
“Forms are printed for only one person. Decisions are imposed. When that happens, people who still want to participate politically have to look elsewhere,” he said.
Using a transport analogy, Mr Inuwa said party switches were often a matter of practicality rather than principle.
“If you want to travel and the vehicle you entered breaks down with no hope of repair, you have to look for another vehicle,” he said.
Asked what principles have remained consistent across his political journey, he cited public trust and accountability.
“Commitment to the people and integrity in handling public trust have remained constant for me,” he said.
On his role ahead of the 2027 elections, Mr Inuwa portrayed himself as a coalition builder rather than a transactional politician.
“People come to me, and I don’t give them money,” he said. “Those who want politics for money know where to go.”
THE NORTHERN QUESTION — NATIONAL OUTLOOK
Mr Inuwa said northern Nigeria remains richly endowed with human and natural resources but continues to underperform because of weak leadership and lack of regional coordination.
“The North has all it takes — agriculture, manpower, land,” he said. “What we lack is focused leadership, vision, and unity.”
He argued that despite shared challenges, northern states often fail to act collectively, particularly on security and development.
“Even on insecurity, if the North-West governors come together, they can compel the federal government to act decisively,” he said. “But we don’t operate as a common front.”
According to him, issues such as education, the Almajiri system, agriculture, and regional security require coordinated strategies rather than isolated state efforts.
“We operate independently, and that is why we are not using the God-given resources at our disposal,” he added.
CLOSING APPEAL — “CHANGE BEGINS WITH ALL OF US”
In his closing remarks, Mr Inuwa urged citizens to take collective responsibility for governance and social change, arguing that accountability should not be demanded only from those in power.
“Transformation is not the responsibility of leaders alone,” he said. “It is for all of us.”
He called for honesty, integrity, and civic commitment across society.
“We must be sincere, God-fearing, and patriotic in whatever we do,” he added. “It is not only those in authority who are expected to be honest. All of us must be.”
Katsina Government Responds
PREMIUM TIMES requested the state government to respond to Mr Inuwa’s claims and criticism.
In response through a letter dated January 27, 2026, signed by the Director General, Media Maiwada Dan Mallam to the Governor on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, the government defended its security strategy under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.
The statement highlighted “measurable outcomes” from security spending, including a verifiable reduction in banditry-related incidents by over 70 per cent and the reopening of major highways such as Katsina–Jibia, Katsina–Batsari, and others previously deemed unsafe.
The government emphasised its dual-track approach—combining kinetic (military) and non-kinetic (dialogue-based) measures—anchored in the “Building Your Future Strategic Policy.” It described peace initiatives as largely community-driven, with negotiated releases guided by humanitarian principles to save lives and de-escalate conflict, not to legitimize criminality.
The response noted that similar dialogues occurred in prior administrations, including when Mr Inuwa served.
Regarding allegations of abuses by the Community Security Watch Corps, the statement affirmed that the group operates under the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs with legal oversight, training, and disciplinary mechanisms. It stated that misconduct is investigated and sanctioned, and the government does not condone extrajudicial actions or extortion.
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On the N36 billion security expenditure claim, the government clarified that funds support logistics, equipment, intelligence, and community rehabilitation, with outcomes visible in reduced incidents and restored access. It rejected notions of misuse, stressing accountability and noting that Mr Inuwa was part of earlier leadership during the onset of many challenges.
The response concluded by framing security as a collective, pre-existing issue, urging fact-based engagement amid the political season, and highlighting structured institutions like the State Security Council and regional collaborations as evidence of a coherent agenda.
