The Kano government has prohibited the unauthorised sales and renting of apartments in the state as part of plans to tackle insecurity in the state.

Musa Tanko Muhammed, press secretary to the secretary to the state government, Usman Alhaji, announced this in a statement released on Friday in Kano.

Mr Muhammed, in the statement, warned that no house, property or land should be rented out or sold to any individual or group without clearance by the district head.

He said the state took the initiative to forestall bandits from migrating into Kano from states where military operations are ongoing to weed out bandits.

He said military operations against bandits could compel criminal elements to look for safe havens in neighbouring states, including Kano.

“Government has directed that no house, property or land should be rented out or sold to any individual or group without prior due reference to and clearance by the District Head or his accredited representative,” Mr Muhammed was quoted to have said.

Bandits continue to kidnap schoolchildren for ransom across Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara, forcing school closure.

In June, a Nigerian air force jet got shot down in Zamfara by bandits.

The Buhari regime last Friday ordered telecom networks in Zamfara to be shut down to allow security forces to contain bandit activities in the state and its environs.

Peoples Gazette on Friday reported that network services were disrupted in some parts of Katsina state.

Ibrahim Ahmed, security adviser to governor Bello Masari, said the decision was to prevent militants in Zamfara from using telephone signals from Katsina to conduct business.