Niger Governor Demands Deployment Of Security Operatives To Forestall Bandits Movement

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has called for the deployment of security operatives in sensitive areas across the state.

Mary Noel-Berje, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, in a statement on Wednesday, said the deployment of officers would put a stop to the movement of bandits and criminals from one point to another.

The statement disclosed that the Governor stated this when he received the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone ‘7’, Aliyu Garba on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Minna.

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The Governor told the AIG that the State had enjoyed relative peace due to the efforts of the security operatives, adding that its main headache was the youth restiveness that was rearing its ugly head.

He said the cases of bandits’ attack is reoccurring in some few communities in the State, which is giving the state sleepless night

The Governor noted that bandits in large numbers invaded the Kumbashi area and engaged security personnel, adding that details of casualties were yet to be known.

He, however, said one of the commanders of the security agents paid the supreme price, saying that the bandits have moved to Rijau area.

Governor Bello decried the inadequate number of security personnel compared to the size of the State, adding that it did not have any special forces of police around the Rijau area.

“As AIG Zone 7 and a Nigerlite, you are in a better position to understand the terrain.

“I will at this point, on behalf of the Government of the state, appeal to you to use whatever means you can at the headquarters to see that we get adequate boots on the ground.

“We need more mobile squads to be posted to sensitive areas thereby limiting the movements of these bandits from neighbouring states into Niger State,” he said.

Earlier, Garba had explained that his visit was to familiarise himself with the Governor and to see how best the police could collaborate with other security agencies in the state in order to address the security challenges.