The governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has stated that his administration plans to enlist 20, 000 young people in the fight against the banditry, abduction, and armed robberies that have recently plagued the state.
At the palace of the village chief in Lere, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the State, Mohammed announced this on Monday.
On a support visit to Lere, which had been besieged by bandits, he was travelling with the state commissioner of police, Auwal Muhammad, other senior security agencies, the military, the Department of State Security, top government officials, and the traditional ruler.
He commended the police-led vigilante group in the Lere neighbourhood for murdering 67 alleged bandits and rescuing 28 victims.
“I have come to congratulate you and to thank you most sincerely on behalf of myself, the government, and the people of Bauchi State,” he stated.
“What you have done has shown character, perseverance, and community engagement,” he said.
“This is what we intend to do in order to address the security situation in Bauchi State. I am aware that you have freed 29 prisoners and destroyed or devastated more than 60 criminals and con artists who had been terrorising our people.
The Governor commended the police commissioner and other security personnel for ensuring that the community’s struggle against bandits and other criminal groups adhered to the rules of engagement.
The governor gave the village $10 million and 30 motorcycles, and he vowed to provide the community an extra 170 motorcycles to help local hunters and vigilantes battle crime.
He committed to continuing to assist the local vigilante, the police, and other security forces in their efforts to stop robbers from entering the region.
He declared, “The criminals from the north west travel through this area.
“My colleagues from the North West have united to combat this bandit scourge, and they will do so at the highest level with the assistance of the federal government.We are requesting that the federal government assist Bauchi State in its fight against banditry.
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“We’re bearing the brunt of it. We are experiencing the fallout as they combat terrorism since seven states surround us. We are overworked and collaborating with little support, and we are a conduit to both prosperity and criminal activity.
However, Governor Bala Mohammed cautioned the Lere vigilantes against carrying out extrajudicial executions to settle personal differences, stating that the security authorities have faith in them.
He issues a warning, saying, “You have to make sure that we adhere to the rules of engagement and make sure that we are not extrajudicial.”
The local government area’s residents and the governor were given assurances by the police commissioner that the problem of kidnapping and other crimes would soon be history.
I appreciate the ongoing support we receive from the state government, he said.
I want to reassure the state administration and other stakeholders that we will continue to do our best for the state and the issue of security as it affects all of us.
The Tafawa Balewa Chairman Caretaker Committee Samila Wakili had bemoaned the 41 attacks that kidnappers, armed robbers, and bandits had committed in the Lere neighbourhood, which had left residents awake at night.
Wakili commended the governor for responding swiftly to the problem of insecurity in the region and urged the populace to work with the security forces and vigilantes to eradicate the problem.
He declared: “Kidnappers and armed robbers, among other things, have caused us enormous security issues in Tafawa Balewa.
“For more than 41 days, there has not been a single day when armed robbers have not blocked our roadways or kidnapped people; some of them have even been slain. This has given us a lot of problems.
The commanders of the vigilante and hunters eventually realised that things had gotten out of hand as we continued to gather and explore solutions. They asked us to ask the security services for permission so they could approach the robbers hiding in the bushes.
And, Alhamdulillah, we had tremendous success. 36 of them were captured by the police.
Lere Jamilu Bawa’s village chief thanked the police and other security organisations for providing the vigilante with the technical assistance that led to the success that was observed.
