By Correspondent in Minna
Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello of Niger state yesterday at the state police headquarters, Dutsen Kura-Gwari, Minna inaugurated, Niger State Special Vigilante Corps (NSSVC) and donated 10 refurbished Nissan Hilux vans and 20 motorcycles to enhance their operations.
The Special Vigilante Corps, under the Command of, Alhaji Muhammad Nasiru Manta, Governor Bello said was drawn from nine local vigilante outfits operating within Chanchaga and Bosso Local Government Areas that made up Minna the state capital.
The Reporters reports that NSSVC is to compliment the police and other security agencies in the state in bringing to an end, all forms of crime and criminality- killings, rape and destruction of property,including farmlands in four Local Government Areas; Mariga, Shiroro, Munya and Rafi.
Operations of the Special Vigilante Corps, Governor Bello, said would be under the supervision of the Nigerian Police Force in the state as their operations to be monitoring the menace of gangstersm among youth groups within Minna, the state capital and environs.
Bello said the 161 special vigilantes, drawn from; Anti-Drug Consumption and Control (ADC), WAI Brigade, Abidoka, Man ‘O’ War, Cinnaka, Hunters Group, Agbajezhi Operations Group (AOG) Vigilantes and Maitumbi Security Organisation (MATSO) were also to compliment manpower deficit in the conventional security agencies.
“Security agencies were battling with bandits in the rural areas and a new dimension came into Minna which is unacceptable to us. We have a situation whereby we have youth gangs fighting themselves, creating injuries on travellers, that is totally unacceptable,”he said.
While urging parents to live up to their responsibility of good parenting by discouraging their wards from joining bad gangs, the Governor appreciated the volunteers and assured them of all necessary support.
Bello,however lamented, “Armed bandits have forced us to change our way of life in Niger state, they stopped our children from attending convential school, stopped us from travelling on our roads, stopped farmers from going to farms and now they are trying to stop our children from going to islamic school.
“But we will not be intimidated, we will not allow that to happen,we will continue to live our normal lives”.
Niger State Police Commissioner, Adamu Usman had earlier commended the Bello-led administration for empowering the police to train and supervise NSSVC, saying the 161 volunteers went through two weeks training on how to assist conventional security agencies to curb youth restiveness within Minna the state capital in particular.
