Commander Vigilante Corps Urges Govt. to empower local vigilantes to tackle Banditry, Crimes.
Niger State government has been remanded of the need to equipt the state vigilante Corps members with modern crime fighting aparatus and finance to enable them boast activities in the area of banditry and related crime in the state.
The Commandant Vigilante corps Nasiru Muhammad Manta stated this when he addressed the members of vigilante Commanders, Secretaries and Operations from the 25 local government areas of the state during their quarterly review meeting in Minna, the state capital.
He mentioned that the call has become necessary considering the selfless service members of the corps render the society in ensuring that there is relative peace in state.
Nasiru Manta disclosed that his members put their lives at risk to protect lives and secure some critical infrastructure of the state and federal government located in the state,hence the need for government to empower them with modern crime fighting aparatus.
He further urged members of the vigilante Corps to remain united and work in collaboration with relevant Organisations especially the Police.
He warned members not to allow themselves to be used by the self seeking politicians.
He further thanked the twenty five local government councils in the state for their support and cooperation urging them not to relent.
Also Speaking during the session, the Speaker of Niger state House of Assembly,RT HON Abdulmalik Sarkin Daji pointed out that the need to empower the vigilante corps with the necessary weapons and logistics had become very important because the security situation in the state seems to have defied every measure put in place to address the situation with the recent attacks on communities in the state.
According to him, the state vigilante corps has enough manpower and good knowledge of the environment to confront the Bandits and other terrorists groups but added that “what the vigilantes need is equipment and the necessary weapons to tackle these criminals”.
He said going by the caliber of weapons available to the Bandits, it is obvious that the vigilantes can no longer confront them (Bandits) with mere pump action guns and therefore need something more sophisticated in other to take the battle to the criminal, adding “the state Assembly is ready to support the executives in this direction in our collective efforts to win these war against the Bandits and other terrorists in the state”.
Sarkindaji nonetheless appealed to the vigilante corps to continue the sacrifice they have been making for the peace of the state despite the operational challenges facing them, stressing that “your sacrifice is for the peace of the state. If there is no peace in the state, your families and relations will not also have peace. The peace of the state is very important because is for all of us.
“The state assembly will prevail on the government to ensure that you are not only well equipped with the necessary operational materials to take the battle to the Bandits but also provide some incentives to enhance your welfare and that of your families”, he added.
The Speaker equally called for synergy between the vigilante corps and other security agencies in the state in other to achieve the desire results, insisting that the recent escalation of the activities of the gunmen is not only disturbing but very sad as the people, especially at the rural areas can no longer sleep nor embark on their farming activities which is their only means of lively hood.
