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Katsina govt spent over N4.27bn on security in six years – SSG

The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa on Monday, said  the State Government had spent over N4.27 billion on security from June 2015 to August 2020.

Inuwa made the disclosure while briefing members of the state Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Katsina.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a businessman, Mahdi Shehu had in July accused the state government of alleged misappropriation of over N52.4 billion on security and other matters in the last five years.

Inuwa explained that the government spent the N4.27 billion through his office, on the provision of infrastructure and logistics, as well as payment of allowances to security personnel.

According to him, the government spent N691.98 million from June to December 2015; N827.44 million from January to December 2016; N749.41 million, January to December 2017, and N590.02 million between January and December 2018.

The government scribe added that N682.31 million was also spent on security matters from January to December 2019,  and a total of N732.56 between January and August 2020.

According to Inuwa, the state government has been up and doing in ensuring the security of lives and property of the people, in collaboration with security agencies.

“By and large, the State Government has been diligently sponsoring series of security operations, beginning with Operation Sharan Daji, initiated by 1Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna and jointly sponsored by Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Niger States,

“But later, each state has to take care of its area of responsibility by providing office and residential accommodation for the security operatives deployed to their area.

“The State Government undertook the repairs, purchase, fuelling, servicing of operational vehicles in ongoing operations, Operation Mesa, Operation Puff Adder, Operation Diran Mikiya, Operation Sahel Sanity and other adhoc security operations,” he said. (NAN)