From Daniel Ebi, Minna.
In an effort to confront the banditry situation in the State, Niger State Government is to Harmonise all the local Vigilantes in the State into a single structure to complement conventional security forces in curbing criminality in the State.
Under the new structure, all Vigilante groups in the State are to be harmonised into a single structure under a Commandant General and two deputy Commanders.
The Commissioner of Local government and Chieftaincy affairs and internal security, Mr. Emmanuel Umar disclosed this while speaking on the new security strategy in the State.
He explained that following the signing into law of the State Vigilante corps by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the State government is organising all voluntary vigilante corps into a united structure.
According to the Commissioner, contrary to the general perception that the State government is dismantled all Vigilantees groups in the State, rather they are been restructured.
The Commissioner explained that, the State is reforming the vigilantes inoder to support the existing conventional security forces in the fight against insurgency and bandatry in the State.
“Vigilantes has not been dismantled, but to have operational sucesss, to support the existing conventional security structure, to curb small arms and illegal weapons in the State ”
Under the proposed structure, apart from the State commander General and the two Deputy commander, there will be three Zonal sector commanders for the three senatorial district in the State.
The Commissioner explained that, local government comanders will also be appointed based on the voluntary policing structure in the State.
Meanwhile, a special Vigilante unit will be created to collaborate with relavant security agencies in terms of intelligence gathering.
