Katsina State has debunked reports in some sections of mainstream and social media that Akwa Ibom evacuated 38 of its indigenes over security concerns.
Alhaji Al’amin Isah, Acting Director-General, Media, Katsina State, told newsmen that insecurity had not reached the level that other states would be evacuating their indigenes from Katsina State.
He said the attention of Katsina State government had been drawn to the report, especially in a national newspaper and on a broadcast channel.
“It has become necessary to let the world know that the story is untrue.
“ One of the people in the report claimed that she was attacked at Jibia, Katsina State, but that the military rescued her and took her to an Internally Displaced Peoples camp in the state.
“Quite to the contrary, we do not have any Internally Displaced Peoples camp in Katsina State.
“Those in the report merely want to extract money from their state government by using the insecurity issue in Katsina State as a cover.
“We are here to tell the world that the story is untrue. The security situation in Katsina State is under control; there’s no escalation to an extent that non-indigenes are being attacked.
“Those people going round telling the world that they have left Katsina State because of insecurity have personal motives for making such claims,’’ Isah said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad-Katsina, Special Assistant to Gov. Aminu Masari on Security Matters, said Katsina State government had contacted the leadership of non-indigenous people in the state on the issue.
Ahmad-Katsina said the non-indigenous peoples’ leadership had confirmed to the state government that it was all a ruse.
The governor’s aide called Akwa Ibom to take note of the development, so that unscrupulous people would not take advantage of situations.
Ahmad-Katsina assured all non-indigenes that the security situation was under control and that they were safe, adding that no state in the northwest was as safe as Katsina State.
Also speaking, Mr Obong Patrick, President of Good Neighbourhood and Peace Promotion Foundation, Katsina State, said it was not aware of any security challenge peculiar to non-indigenes.
Patrick said if there was such evacuation by Akwa Ibom, he would have known as former President and Founder of Non-indigenes Forum in Katsina State. NAN
