INSECURITY: Bauchi to recruit 20,000 youths to compliment police, others

In an effort to compliment security agencies in tackling insecurity in Bauchi State especially banditry and kidnapping, the state government has said it will recruit a total of 20,000 people as security support personnel.

The disclosure was made by the State governor, Sen Bala Mohammed while addressing the people of Lere Community in Tafawa Balewa LGA during an on the spot assessment visit on Monday.

Mohammed revealed that the 20,000 youths recruits will be jointly trained by the Police and Military on how to protect the people of the state against the onslaught of bandits.

The governor said that, “The time has come when we must take the destiny of our state in our hands. Whatever resources we have, we will take it and use it judiciously for the good of our people.”

He praised the members of the vigilante and local hunters in Lere community led by the police and soldiers for killing 67 suspected bandits and rescuing 28 victims saying, “it was in line with my stance to rid the state of criminal elements.”

The governor stressed that, “This is what we want to do in terms of tackling insecurity 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.

“This place is the route of the miscreants from the North – West. 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,” he added.

He stressed that, “We are calling on the Federal Government to also support Bauchi State to fight banditry. We too are facing insecurity challenges and we need the support we can get.”

Bala Mohammed said that, “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.”

The governor announced the donation of N10 million and 30 motorcycles to the community to support the vigilante and local hunters to fight crime in the area.

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He revealed that his administration would set up an agency to procure more motorcyles and vehicles as well as engage the 20,000 youths.

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.

Bala Mohammed however warned the vigilante members in Lere not to engage in extra judicial killings to settle scores, saying that 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 warned.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police, Awwal Musa Mohammad 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.

Earlier, the Chairman Caretaker Committee of Tafawa Balewa Samila Wakili lamented that kidnapers, armed robbers and bandits had carried out 41 attacks in Lere community in recent times, thereby causing residents sleepless nights.

He said: “We, in Tafawa Balewa, have been plagued by great security challenges especially of kidnappers and armed robbers among others.

According to him, “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.”

He added that, “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.”

By Yemi Kanji

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