The Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed a law that would facilitate establishing state-owned security outfit to tackle banditry and other crimes in the state.

The governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, disclosed this when he paid a condolence visit to the family of a 75-year-old man, Jauro Dakkuna, who was killed by bandits in Shafa community in the Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.

Mohammed said the state government was making arrangement to recruit over 2,000 youths into the security outfit in the state.

The governor added that the bandits operating in the area have local collaborators.

He said: “There was no how somebody from somewhere in Zamfara would visit that secluded place of Shafa hamlet to kill somebody unless he has an informer and collaborator.

“As the security agencies have always said, such thing could not happen without collaboration with some obnoxious elements within us.

“We have to fear God in all our dealings, we have already requested the two district heads to make sure they become circumspect, to look inward because we too were looking so that they can arrest all these issues of compromise, information being given to the bandits.

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“Reports reaching me the day before was some locals were supplying foodstuff to the bandits in the forests, so we are aware of such retrogressive tendencies, there are some few dissident security operatives that are compromising with the bandits.

“So, we are requesting the commissioner of police and the brigade commandant to effect a change or redeployment of the guards here who have over stayed in their duty posts to have been conniving with the bandits.”

Governor Mohammed further assured residents that a feedback mechanism would be put in place to improve the security situation.

“We are establishing a system of feedback, and I had some people within us are even feeding the bandits in their secluded places by giving them grains and flour to feed, that is the report I got, and we are going to take measures against such people wherever they are and no matter how close they are to us,” he added.

The governor, however, advised the people to give the state government information through their local authorities such as the LG chairman, councilors, district, village, and ward heads for prompt action to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

The Star