By Correspondent in Minna
Niger state government has promised to sponsor the education of the children of members of the state branch of Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) who paid the supreme price fighting bandits.
The Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, disclosed this in Kontagora when he interacted with officials during which he members of the volunteer group for their renewed efforts in taking the fight to the bandit’s hideouts.
The Governor, however, decried the activities of some elements who he said, chose to sabotage government efforts to end security threats by serving as informants to the bandits expressed government’s preparedness to deal any person caught aiding and abating crime in the state.
He directed that the data of all those killed by the bandits should be profiled and forwarded to his office, through the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Bello also requested that a census of all the vigilantes in the state be carried out to enable government provide them stipends to further boost their morale.
The Governor,who in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, lamented increasing rate of crime and the lean financial of the state government resources to meet numerous needs of the people, solicited the continued support of citizenry to the administration.
He advised members of the vigilante group to channel their needs through the Ministry of Local Government, assuring that despite the dwindling fortunes, the state government would support them because ‘security of lives and properties is paramount’.
The N260 million, he said was in addition to the provision of logistics support, including; motorcycles, cars and firearms which is mandatory to enable them confront criminal elements frontally.
The vice-Chairman of Kontagora local Government Council, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Makiga, who doubles as the Chairman of Voluntary Organisation in the area, appreciated the Bello for the gesture and the continued support of the state government to checkmate banditary.
Makiga told Governor Bello that vigilante group had evolved new strategies of confronting the bandits, With the level of affronts posed by the criminals.
The Vice chairman, who noted that checking the activities of bandits remained the only thing that could restore the confidence of the people in the governance of the state, therefore commended the Governor for the financial support.
