By Laleye Dipo
The Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has said that if the battle against insurgency and other criminality in the country is to be won, the federal government should recruit more personnel and provide more modern equipment for the Armed Forces and the police.
Bello said in Minna on Monday when he received the state caucus in the National Assembly who paid him a solidarity visit over the abduction of the Kagara school boys and others that inadequate personnel and equipment are responsible for the inability of the security agencies to overcome insurgency and criminality across the country.
“We have been making all efforts to see that insecurity is curtailed but it has been extremely difficult mostly because of manpower shortage and lack of equipment.
“The strength of the entire police force in Niger State is just about 4,000. It used to be 14,000 for Niger State alone, so you can see that the police is overstretched and I believe even the military is the same.
“Our security agencies have been overstretched and are faced with inadequate and absence of sufficient surveillance equipment to manage security challenges very well,” the governor emphasised.
Bello therefore pleaded with the National Assembly to “work together with and support the federal government so that it can do the needful of expediting actions towards recruitment of more security agents. These days, you need a lot of technology to deploy and to manage security very well”.
“So I hope the National Assembly will support the federal government when it comes to the statutory budgetary provision that will provide for these equipment,” he said.
Bello was optimistic that the Government Science College, Kagara kidnapped victims will soon be released because “efforts are being made tirelessly to that effect”, adding that the other released victims are doing well and set to be reunited with their family members.
The spokesman of the caucus and Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Alhaji Abdullahi Sabi, said their visit was to identify with the government and people of the state in this trying period.
He commended Bello for his ability to secure the release of the 53 kidnapped passengers of NSTA bus.
