Gombe State governor and chairman of Nothern Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has brought to the fore the security challenges facing Gombe State and the entire Northern Nigeria, with a view to finding sustainable solutions.
Accordingly, he called for enhanced collaboration between state governments and security agencies, including the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in addressing pressing security challenges and promoting socio-economic development, particularly in the agrarian region.
Governor Inuwa stated this when he paid a working visit to the headquarters of the NSCDC in Abuja where he met with the commandant general, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, and other top echelons of the Corps.
He underscored the necessity for the NSCDC to continually adapt its operational strategies to combat crimes such as banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder conflicts effectively.
With security challenges looming large, the governor emphasized the necessity for innovative approaches to safeguard the nation, suggesting urgent need for a comprehensive review of operational strategies to enhance the security landscape in Nigeria.
In what can be described as a proactive move to protect the well-being of his state’s agrarian economy, Governor Inuwa Yahaya made a request for the presence of more Agro-Rangers during the harvest season.
The governor said restricting herder movements during this crucial period has been a successful strategy, and therefore sought the support of the NSCDC to further reinforce these efforts.
He disclosed his administration’s seasonal restriction of herder movements during harvest times to enable farmers to achieve bountiful harvests, but acknowledged the challenges in enforcing compliance, hence the need to strengthen collaboration with the NSCDC and relevant outfits.
Governor Inuwa said the deployment of more Agro- Rangers will not only help secure the farming communities, but also contribute to food security across the region.
He stated: “Unfortunately, it is the farmer-herder clashes that culminated into banditry and kidnapping we are witnessing in our country today.
“We have a law in Gombe that as from October, no movement of cattle is allowed across the state. So as to allow the farmers to harvest their produce. Unfortunately, you know due to the human nature, enforcement of that law has not been easy. We have Gombe State Security and Traffic Corps, but that is not enough,that is why we have come to the Civil Defence to seek support.
“Over 75% of our people are peasant farmers, who rely on agriculture and animal rearing. Insurgency activities have affected both our forest reserves and grazing reserves”.
Governor Inuwa also raised concerns and drew attention of the security chiefs to the protection of schools in the North East, a region that has faced severe educational challenges due to security threats.
He acknowledged the critical role of the National Safe Schools Protection programme initiated by the NSCDC, saying it holds the potential to restore the confidence of parents and ensure the safety of students in schools, especially given the concerning situation of only one functioning female boarding school in the Northern part of Gombe State.
Governor Inuwa told the NSCDC boss that his administration successfully facilitated the return of more than 350,000 out-of-school children to the educational system, emphasizing the important role that the Corps’ Safe School Programme could play in rebuilding parents’ confidence and ensuring the retention of the students in schools.
He commended the visionary leadership of the NSCDC under Dr. Audi, and in particular the Agro-Rangers and the National Safe Schools Protection programmes, adding that the initiatives are in line with the visions, policies, and developmental goals of Gombe State, known for its agrarian economy.
He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the NSCDC’s operations in both Gombe and the Northern region.
In his response, Dr. Abubakar Audi agreed to the collaboration and support requested by the Gombe State Governor.
He committed to deploying more Agro Ranger personnel and ensuring the deployment of high-quality officers to Gombe State.
” I want to assure you that we will support you; will send experts and highly trained intelligence personnel to Gombe to train the Traffic and Security Corps which you already set up in the State. We will also send them to our schools for necessary trainings to upscale their efficiencies.
“Civil Defence is the lead agency in the protection of critical national infrastructure in Nigeria.We provide safety and security for agro-allied companies including farmers and farmlands.
“Like you mentioned, Gombe State is an agrarian state, we are going to assist you by providing more Agro-Rangers personnel.Your coming is timely.We train our AgroRangers quarterly.We are just training some batches and as soon as they finished, we will liase with the Gombe State Commandant and send you some of them”
Dr. Audi praised the dynamic leadership exhibited by Governor Inuwa Yahaya, emphasizing that Gombe State, under his stewardship, has achieved remarkable prominence and substantial accomplishments.
He pledged unwavering support for the Gombe State government in its pursuit of becoming the safest state in the subregion, as well as in advancing the climate and agrarian revolution initiated by Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration.
