By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Concern by the insecurities associated with armed banditry that is rearing it’s head in some communities of Bauchi State, the State Governor, Bala Mohammed has sounded a stern warning to local government chairmen to be proactive in ensuring security of their respective councils.
Governor Bala Mohammed who stated this on Monday at the government house, said that the state in recent times have been experiencing a surge in the activities of miscreants and bandits in some of the local government areas of the state, that has led to abductions, loss of lives and properties.
He said that the insecurity situation in the state was becoming very worrisome as majority of the population of the state live in the rural areas, pointing out that if insecurity continues to thrives in the rural areas, it will definitely pose as a threat to the state.
“We have been lending you support to run your security challenges, you are supposed to work with the security heads, Emirs, village heads, the vigilantes and the security agencies in your local governments, but you are not doing that. It is very unfortunate that the situation is deteriorating and everybody is looking up to the governor or the federal government.
“Community engagement is the most important thing in this, most especially when there are incidence of connivance between local government officials, even state ministry officials and traditional institutions with the bandits to inflict their heinous crimes against our people, this is unacceptable.
“We will no longer tolerate this, because there is nothing that is happening that we are not getting report from the DSS. It is either you are nonchalant or sometimes forestry officers and those ministries responsible for settlements for forest reserves, they connive. I am letting you know that today, whoever connive and short-change or abate any crime , will face the full wreath of the law. We are not going to allow this thing to continue, said the Governor.