The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, said his government has earmarked N1.5 billion to fight insecurity in the state.
Mr Masari disclosed this during the Passing-Out-Parade (POP) of 600 volunteers at the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) College Katsina, on Saturday.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Muntari Lawal, the governor commended the volunteers who pledged to go into the forest in all the nooks and crannies of the state to assist the government in the fight against banditry.
He pledged that the state government would do its best to assist the volunteers in their efforts to assist the state and the country in general in combating insecurity.
“My administration will not relent to assist security agencies, organisations and well-meaning individuals in the fight against insecurity in the state,” he added.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security (SAS), Ibrahim Ahmad, said the 600 individuals were able-bodied men and women of high integrity with various academic qualifications.
He said they possessed qualifications ranging from Diploma, Higher National Diplomas, National Certificate in Education, Degrees, Masters, PhD and others.
“These people had sacrificed to assist the state government in the fight against banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, among others across the state.
According to the SSA, the volunteers were disturbed by the persistent insecurity in the state, prompting them to offer themselves to assist the government.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the NSCDC College Katsina, Babangida Abdullahi, said that the volunteers were trained for about two weeks in the college on armoury and other strategies on how to combat insecurity.