Kebbi security: Emir, clerics, community leaders seek roles

The Emir Gwandu and Chairman of Kebbi State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar Illiyasu, Sheikh Abdullahi Bunza, other Islamic scholars and village heads have tasked government and the relevant security agencies in Kebbi State on the need to involve them and the local government authorities in security matters if crimes must be curbed in the state.

The Emir during a meeting called by the state government to review security issues in the state and fashion out ways to sustain the relative peace being enjoyed in Kebbi State, urged government to implement the security report which his committee earlier submitted to it.

He said, “The report gives traditional rulers, local government authorities, district heads, ward heads, village heads, village elders, religious leaders, the police and other security agencies in the locality roles to play in ensuring and sustaining security of Kebbi State.”

He added that the involvement of the local government authorities, traditional rulers, village heads and other stakeholders in the security of the state was important because it was from them that the security agents could get useful information on incidents that bother on security of the state even before they happened.

Earlier the Commandant of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ibrahim Imam attributed the increasing rate of crime in the state to the involvement of youths in drugs.

He said to curb it measures must be taken to stop the use of Indian hemp, cocaine, Tutolin, tramadol and other intoxicants among youths. In their contributions, Sheikh Abdulllahi Bunza and Malam Bashir Musa Fakka identified political injustice, uneven distribution of resources and corruption as the root cause of crime and insecurity in the society.