FG ‘committed to eliminating banditry, terrorism’

The Federal Government (FG) has reiterated its resolve to end banditry and other crimes in the northwest geo-political zone.

This was stated on Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, on Thursday in Kaduna during a keynote address at a two-day stakeholders’ engagement on current security challenges in the zone.

The address was delivered on his behalf by Mr David Attah, Director, Special Services at the SGF office.

Attah said that tackling insecurity was one of the three priority areas of the FG which had been working assiduously to reduce it to the barest minimum.

“We will not rest until peace; order and public safety are fully restored in our country.

“Nigeria has been grappling with a number of security challenges that have resulted in loss of valuable lives and displacement of several people as well as destruction of property worth billions of naira,’’ he said.

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He noted that as part of efforts to tackle the menace, the FG increased budgetary allocation to security apparatuses including the military.

“Similarly, government granted approval for the recruitment of 10,000 police personnel for three consecutive years while salaries of those already in service were increased to boost morale, enhance productivity and elicit hard work,’’ he said.

He noted that security situation had improved across the country.

“Insurgents in the northeast have been decimated considerably.

“More than 30,000 insurgents and their families have surrendered and the threats of separatists in the southeast and parts of South-South have reduced in traction.

“In the maritime domain, our waters are now calm and we no longer receive reports of daily attacks by pirates,’’ Attah said.

He urged traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society, trade unions, security personnel, individuals and organisations to cooperate in the fight against insecurity.

“The perpetrators of the evil acts live among us and are our relatives. This highlights the need for cooperation by communities and the whole of society to tackle the menace.

“This workshop is part of the non-kinetic approaches to sensitise communities on the need to collaborate with government at all levels to tackle banditry and other related crimes in the northwest.

“The workshop is aimed at addressing the issue of confidentiality of information given and protecting volunteers of such information going forward,’’ he stressed.

Earlier, Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, said that the timing of the workshop was apt, as a testament to government’s determination to address insecurity.

Aruwan said that the choice of location also reflected the strategic importance of Kaduna State to the collaborative efforts to end insecurity in the northwest.