Insecurity: Katsina communities to form vigilance groups

TRACKING_____The Katsina State government has directed rural communities to liaise with their traditional rulers and form vigilance groups as part of efforts to revitalise traditional community surveillance.

Special Adviser on Security Matters to the governor, Ibrahim Katsina, told The Nation that the traditional security surveillance was the best way to augment the efforts of security agencies.

Katsina, who lamented the attacks on Tsauwa and Dankar villages in Batsari Local Government Area, urged the people to bear the loss in good faith. He assured them the government will assist them.

He said: “Community vigilance and networking is the best way to curb insecurity. Supposing the vigilance groups were functional, these attacks would have ceased.

“I am sure they can counter the attacks if members of the community will rise to their responsibilities and understand the concept of neighbourhood watch and community vigilance. That is what the state will focus on to conscientise the public and re-awaken them on security matters.

“We have identified the problems; what we want is for the communities to key into the concept. Once that is done, we are sure it would sanitise the worrying areas.”

Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Nasarawa State has said it will conduct a census of its members to address the influx of criminals.

MACBAN Chairman Mohammed Hussaini, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, said the move became necessary due to the alarming rate of crime in the country, which had mostly been attributed to MACBAN.

He said: “We will embark on the registration of all Fulani from 15 years and above, to checkmate the influx of criminals. Data generated from the survey would be kept in the state headquarters of the association for easy access.”

Hussaini said all chairmen of the association, called Ardos, and other Fulani leaders in the 13 local government areas, will liaise with security agencies in intelligence gathering.

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He added that the association would also partner the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the fight against drug abuse.

According to him, most criminal and social vices were perpetrated under the influence of hard drugs. He, therefore, stressed the need to identify and prosecute suppliers of hard drugs if the war against drug abuse would be won.

Hussaini also urged the Federal Government to consider recruiting Fulani into the planned community policing initiative, saying they are always willing to assist in security matters.

He promised that the association would never shield criminals, and urged other groups to expose criminals in their domains to make the country safe for all.