Insecurity: Sokoto Gov’t Sets Up Panel On Community Guards Establishment

Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto State has approved the composition of a 25-member committee for the establishment of State Community Guards, aimed at strengthening support for security agencies’ operations against security challenges in the state.

The proposed Community Guards, a source hinted, may have been informed by the recent meeting held in Katsina State on the spate of insecurity associated with bandit attacks, kidnappings and other sundry crimes threatening the State and other North-West states.

The committee, saddled with five terms of reference, is to be chaired by retired Colonel Garba Moyi, with Yusha’u Ahmed Kebbe as Vice Chairman while Barrister Gandi Umar Mohammed and the Director Security, Cabinet Office, will serve as Secretary and Assistant Secretary, respectively.

The terms of reference include, to advise on the modalities of the establishment of the Security Guards, recruitment and training of personnel into the Guards, to ensure a smooth take-off of the community guards and to sanitise the communities across the 23 LGAs of the State on the establishment of the community guards and to recommend on the composition, powers and functions of the community guards, among others.

However, the governor’s approval for the establishment of the panel as contained in a release issued by his Press Secretary, Abubakar Bawa, did not specify a timeframe within which the committee is to complete its assignment and submit its report.