Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda issued an executive order on June 17, 2026, banning the sale and transportation of fuel in jerrycans [1].
These measures aim to disrupt the logistics of bandits and kidnappers who rely on portable fuel and motorcycles to operate in remote areas. By cutting off these resources, the government intends to reduce the frequency of attacks and the mobility of criminal gangs.
The statewide ban prohibits the sale, purchase, transportation, and storage of premium motor spirit (PMS) in jerrycans [3]. Radda said the ban on jerrycan fuel sales is essential to stop the financing of criminal activities in the state [2].
In addition to fuel restrictions, the government has limited the use of motorcycles in certain areas [4]. Radda said motorcycles have become a major conduit for kidnappers and that restricting their use is a necessary security measure [3]. While some reports suggest a statewide ban on motorcycles, other sources indicate restrictions are limited to specific zones [4].
Financial checkpoints were also established as part of the crackdown. The government ordered the closure of Point-of-Sale (POS) centers in two local government areas [1]. This move follows reports that these centers were being used to facilitate illegal transactions for criminal groups.
To bolster ground security, the state is recruiting 1,000 forest guards [1]. These personnel will be tasked with monitoring the wilderness and preventing bandits from establishing hideouts in the state's forested regions.
"We are taking decisive steps to curb banditry and protect the lives of our people," Radda said [1].
“"The ban on jerrycan fuel sales is essential to stop the financing of criminal activities in the state."”
The Katsina government is shifting toward a strategy of 'logistical strangulation,' targeting the basic supplies—fuel, mobility, and cash liquidity—that enable asymmetric warfare in rural Nigeria. By restricting jerrycans and POS centers, the state is attempting to make the operation of bandit camps economically and physically unsustainable, though the success of these measures depends on the government's ability to enforce bans across porous rural borders.
