ILLITERACY AND POROUS BORDERS FUELING BANDITARY IN THE NORTH - NIGER STATE GOVERNMENT
The Niger State Government has attributed the rising spate of banditry in the North to climate change, porous borders, illiteracy and poverty.
This was made known today by the Secretary to the Government of Niger State (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, at a one-day symposium on banditry and insecurity in the state organized under the auspices of the Centre for Historical Research and Documentation, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.
The SSG said the scourge of banditry started in the North-Western part of Nigeria, specifically Zamfara State, during the protracted farmer-herder clashes.
The SSG, who was the Guest Speaker at the event said, “Banditry can be attributed to several factors. These include climate change, non-agricultural use of land, the porous nature of Nigeria’s border, undelineated states borders, poverty, illiteracy and unemployment and proliferation of small arms and light weapons among several others”.
He noted that for the ugly trend to be reversed, there is a need for a co-ordinated and sustained joint security operations, strict surveillance on the proliferation of weapons, full deployment of ICT technologies like drones, trackers, communication systems and the establishment of community Policing in strategic areas within the region.
The SSG also revealed that security agencies must be wary of locals who act as internal collaborators for these bandits by way of giving them tip offs and useful information about troops and their movements.
He urged the States and Federal Governments to liaise more with relevant security agencies in the fight against banditary and extremism in the North.
On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Abu-Kasim Adamu, said that the theme of the symposium was apt and timely, considering the exigencies of the time. He encouraged Government accross boards to increase budgetary allocations to the education sector, in order to reduce the social base of the bandits inbthe region.
“The event could not have come at a time better than now”, he said.
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