The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has said that his administration had in the last seven years in office decimated the activities of terrorists through synergy between the government and the security agencies.
This is contained in a statement by Abba Anwar, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ganduje, and made available to newsmen in Kano on Saturday.
According to Anwar, Ganduje made this known in a paper, entitled, “Challenges of Insecurity and Nation Building,” which he presented at the 2020 Alumni Lecture of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Worldwide, held at Dame Edith Okowa Auditorium of the university on Friday.
The governor, who attributed the success in curtailing the lingering attacks and other similar criminalities to the synergy between his government and the security agencies, said other governors across the country should adopt a similar approach to tackle security challenges bedevilling their respective states.
Ganduje then urged his colleagues to ensure effective collaboration with security agencies in their respective states to fight terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminalities.
“Let me emphasise that state governments need to cooperate and work together with security agencies in dealing with the situation (insecurity) at hand,” Ganduje said.
Governor added that Kano had seen the benefits of this synergic engagement with security agencies at different levels.
On how he was able to achieve the feat, Ganduje said, “They (security) were provided with logistics and equipment and setting-up of a Police Anti-Cattle Rustling Squad, Ambush Squad and Tactical Observation points along the Falgore Forest, which was hitherto the den of cattle rustlers and armed robbers.
According to Ganduje, the state government had invested over N1 billion in the procurement of gadgets and operational vehicles for security operatives in the state.
The government had also re-organised vigilante groups across the state to enhance community policing and complement efforts of conventional security operatives,” he said.
Ganduje further commended the Federal Government for making it possible for the existence of a permanent camp for military training ground where the Nigerian Army holds regular military exercises.
He argued that the menace of insecurity calls for a new approach that would be founded on credible intelligence gathering.
“Government must not only continue to engage the security personnel, but it must also, more than ever before, recognise the need to devote more attention to security intelligence, capacity building to meet the global best practice standard and acquisition of modern technology,” he said.
Ganduje stressed the need to modernise the security agencies with training, intelligence sharing, advanced technology, logistics, motivation and change of orientation, to ensure effective operations.