… Gov set to recruit 20, 000 youths to fight bandits
From Paul Orude, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed has unveiled plan by his administration to recruit 20,000 youth to fight the incursion of bandits in the State
Mohammed lamented that the onslaught by the governors of the north west against bandits was pushing them into the state urge the federal government to come to the aid of his administration to deal with the situation.
He commended the vigilante and local hunters in Lere community in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the for killing 67 suspected bandits and rescuing 28 victims.
Governor Mohammed made this known when he visited the community on Monday, promising to recruit 20, 000 youths to help fight bandits.
He was in company with the Commissioner of Police Auwal Muhammad and other top security chiefs in the State, including the military, Department of State Security among others.
“I have come to congratulate you and to thank you most sincerely on behalf of myself the government and people of Bauchi State,” he said.
“What you have done has shown character, perseverance and community engagement,” he stated.
“This is what we want to do in terms of tackling security in Bauchi State. I understand that you have rescued 29 captives and you have wasted, decimated over 60 miscreants and charlatans who have been terrorizing our people”
The Governor thanked the Commissioner of police and other security agents for ensuring the rule of engagement in the fight against bandits and other criminal elements in the community was adhered to.
The governor donated 10 million and 30 motorcycles to the community and promised to donate additional 170 motorcycles to support the vigilante and local hunters to fight crime in the area.
He promised to continue to support the police and other security agencies, including the local vigilante to curtail the incursion of bandits in the area.
“This place is the route of the miscreants from the north west,” he said.
“My colleagues from the North West have come together to fight this scourge of banditry and they are going to do it at the highest level with the support of the federal government
“We are calling on the federal government to also support Bauchi State to fight banditry.
“We are taking the brunt. As they are working on terrorism we are getting the backlash because we are surrounded by seven states. We are a gateway to prosperity and also a gateway to criminals and we are overstretched and working together with minimal support”
Governor Bala Mohammed however warned the vigilante in Lere not to engage in extra judicial killings to settle scores saying the security agencies have faith in them
“You have to make sure that we go by the rules of engagement and make sure we are not extra judicial,” he warns.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police assured the governor and the people of the local government area that the issue of kidnapping and other crimes in the area would soon become a thing of the past.
“I appreciate the support that we are getting from the state government all the time,” he said.
“I want to assure the state government and other stakeholder’s hat issue of security as it concerns all of us we will continue do our best “
Earlier the Chairman Caretaker Committee of Tafawa Balewa Samila Wakili lamented that kidnappers, armed robbers and bandits had carried out 41 attacks in Lere community, thereby causing residents’ sleepless nights.
Wakili thanked the governor for his quick repose to the insecurity challenge in the area and urged the people to cooperate with the security agencies and the vigilante to tackle the menace.
He said: “We, in Tafawa Balewa, have been plagued by great security challenges especially of kidnappers and armed robbers among others.
“For over 41 days, there is no single day that people are not being kidnapped or our roads blocked by armed robbers, some of them are even killed. This has caused us great trouble.
“We kept meeting and discussing on how to address these issues and at the end of the day, commanders of vigilante and hunters, saw that it was getting out of hand.
“They requested us to seek for permission from security agencies to allow them confront the bandits in the bushes.
“And Alhamdullilah, we recorded great success. They were able to arrest 36 of them.”
Village head of Lere Jamilu Bawa commended the police and other security agencies for providing technical support to the vigilante which resulted in the success recorded.