Katsina State Governor Dr Dikko Radda issued an executive order on Tuesday that banned the sale, purchase, transportation and storage of petroleum products in jerrycans across the state. Officials introduced the measure to prevent fuel from reaching bandit groups operating in forests and remote areas.
Dr Radda announced the restrictions as part of broader efforts to tackle insecurity. The governor stated that criminals used jerrycans to stockpile fuel for their operations. “The ban on the sale of fuel in jerrycans is intended to prevent fuel supplies from reaching criminal elements,” he explained through a government statement.
Authorities also prohibited the use of motorcycles and shut down Point of Sale businesses in Matazu and Musawa Local Government Areas. These steps followed assessments that bandits relied on motorcycles for quick raids and that POS outlets facilitated ransom payments.
Dr Radda visited the family of a slain general on the same day he announced the order. The governor used the occasion to underscore the human cost of the violence that prompted the new measures. He emphasized that the restrictions built on previous successes by the Community Watch Corps, which calmed areas such as Jibia and Faskari.
The executive order took effect immediately. It applied to all filling stations and prohibited dispensing fuel into containers other than vehicle tanks. Officials aimed to disrupt black-market supplies that sustained bandit camps.
Transitioning to enforcement, security agencies prepared to monitor compliance. Dr Radda assured residents that the government would address any unintended hardships while maintaining the focus on security gains. The measures reflected a determined push to cut logistical support for criminal networks in the northwest region.
