The combined efforts of security operatives and other critical relevant stakeholders have been identified as the major reason why Gombe state is relatively secure and peaceful.
The State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, who stated this while declaring open the state Peace and Security Summit, observed that the present security situation in the country is generally precarious, but quickly stated that” but Gombe is relatively secure and peaceful.”
Citing the Nigeria Security Tracker published monthly by Eons Intelligence (A reputable Risk and Security Consulting Organisation), that stated that the State recorded the least incidences of killings, kidnapping and other violent crimes during the first quarter of this year, such feast, as made known by him, was made possible by the “combined efforts of our security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.”
Vowing not to stop working round the clock to maintain such a feast, he was optimistic that the peace and security summit will provide an opportunity for security personnel, government officials and other strategic stakeholders in the maintenance of law and order in the state to brainstorm.
He also believed that the summit would aggregate and explore pressing internal issues to identify new security and community pathways for mitigating them for lasting peace and stability.
Stressing that “we are all aware that our dear country is passing through a delicate period of immense security and economic challenges and risks” criminal elements all over the country, as stated by him “are united in their determination to threaten our common values, destroy our means of livelihood and make life brutish and miserable for our people.”
While the country was struggling to arrest the menace of Boko Haram in the North-East, he expressed sadness that “another security threat in the form of rural banditry, emerged in some parts of North-Central and North-Western Nigeria with significant impact on human and the economic well-being.”
Admitting that the state is not totally immune and insulated from happenings in other parts of the country, he said “We have our own share of local security threats fuelled by political thuggery, youth restlessness and unemployment which led to the emergence of the notorious Kalare group.”
“The proliferation of local militia groups, therefore, calls for a proactive approach in dealing with these emerging threats and applying local strategies for tackling them”. Yahaya said.
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The governor who believed that his administration had been able to contain the menace of political thuggery and youth restiveness to the barest minimum through the combined efforts of the political class, security agencies, community, religious and traditional institutions, said more still need to be put in place in order to flush out the local militia groups.
For the aforementioned dreams to come to reality, his administration, according to him has established the Gombe State Security, Traffic and Environmental Corps (GOSTEC), adding that “we aimed to employ not less than 2000 youths with the first batch of 500 corps already engaged to support the statutory agencies in the state in maintaining law and order.”
This home grown initiative, the governor said is geared at “harnessing the energies of our youths in state building in line with our human capital development initiative”.
More to his plans to make the state peaceful and secure for all and sundries, his government, according to him has taken steps further by collaborating with the relevant security agencies to launch a special security task force to be named as Operation Hattara to reinforce security architecture in the entire axis of the state.
Passionately appealing to the people to extend the much needed olive branches to the security operatives, his administration on its part, he said will continue to reach out to the security agencies via the provision of logistics.
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