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Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Borno Governor Babagana Zulum has announced plan to launch an agro-rangers security operation, a local arrangement to provide security for farmers on their farmlands against Boko Haram attacks.
Zulum while reacting to the concerns of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi during an Eid-el-Kabir visit to the Maiduguri Government House on Monday evening disclosed that some 500 state-armed personnel and volunteers would form the crop of the manpower for the security arrangement to protect farmers.
“We are also launching what we called agro-rangers under the civil defence corps and already 75 civil defence personnel are in Maiduguri and I have made personal appeal to the commander of the civil defence to add additional 150,” he disclosed. He said the state will mobilise about 300 hunters, legion members (retired military personnel) and vigilante, bringing the figure to about 500.
He said government was collaborating with the security agencies to improve on the security situation. He said the state government had deployed two bulldozers to the volatile Damboa-Biu road to clear the sideways of bushes. He said the clearance would give access to the people and commuters as well as ward off Boko Haram activities along the way.
He also vowed to clamp down on operators of brothels, liquor joints and other hot spots considered as offensive or “illegal” in the state capital.
“Such kind of thing going on in Maiduguri shall never be tolerated. Very soon, we shall clamp down on them,” he stated.
The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi had in his address, requested the governor to look into some “illegal activities” which he said resurfaced elsewhere at the outskirts of the capital a year after they were sent parking from the city centre by the previous administration.
“I was made to understand that these illegal business and activities have moved to another place called Barka da suwa along Baga road. Borno is a Muslim state and we don’t want these things here,” the Shehu insisted.
The last administration has in April 2018 demolished many brothels, liquor joints and hot spots in different parts of the city. It insisted operators of the businesses erected their structure illegally on the premise.
