Banditry: Police Receive Supports, Vehicles as Sultan, others Back Operation Puff Adder

Segun Atanda/

Efforts of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to end banditry across Nigeria has received royal blessings in Sokoto and Katsina, where it also received a big boost from the state governor.

The IGP’s Operation Puff Adder got a big shot in the arm with the donation of 12 Toyota Hilux vans from Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari.

Adamu has ordered the Police Special Forces and other Tactical Units deployed in Katsina to deal decisively with bandits and other violent criminal elements terrorizing innocent citizens in the state.

He gave the charge today while addressing the Combined Teams of Police Operatives at the Katsina Police Command Headquarters in continuation of his operational tour of the North Central and North Western states.

While admitting the obvious security challenges facing the nation at different fronts, the IGP insisted that these security challenges are not insurmountable. He assured that everything humanly and operationally possible was being done towards bringing a permanent end to incidences of banditry and other crimes in the country.

Earlier, the IGP had paid a courtesy call on Masari. He sought his support in the renewed and reinvigorated fight against criminal elements.

In his response, the Governor, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, pledged full support of the State Government and the Citizens to ‘Operation Puff Adder’ and other security initiatives of the Nigeria Police Force.  

Before leaving the state, the IGP also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji (Dr) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. He sought the cooperation of the Royal Father and other Traditional Authorities in the onslaught against criminals.  

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has pledged an unalloyed support to the Police and other Security Agencies.

The Sultan made the pledge yesterday at his Palace in Gida Sarkin Musulmi, Sokoto, when the IGP in company with the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, his deputy, Alhaji Mannir Dan’iya and other top police officers and Government functionaries paid him a courtesy visit.

While promising to use the platform of the Forum of Northern Traditional Rulers to rally support of all the Traditional Rulers from Northern Nigeria to fight banditry and other crimes in the region, the Sultan equally aligned himself with the IGP’s policy direction of using the tool of Community Policing and Partnership to combat crime. The Sultan also urged Nigerians from all walks of life to support the Police in the fight against all manner of crime in the country.

Adamu has also hailed the leadership and members of the National Assembly on the passage of the Police Trust Fund Bill.

The Police Trust Fund Bill, when signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, will be pivotal to providing a legal framework for the management and control of the Special Intervention Fund for the training of personnel of the Force, procurement of operational equipment, infrastructures and maintenance of Police Stations across the Country.

The IGP noted that with the passage of the Bill, and hopefully, the eventual signing into law by the President, the Federal Government would be laying a solid foundation for the future of an effective and efficient structure for policing the Country. He further observed that the passing of the Bill couldn’t have come at a better time than now when concerted efforts were being made at all levels to overcome issues of banditry, kidnapping and other heinous crimes across the Country.

The IGP therefore thanked all stakeholders that helped in mobilizing supports for the passage of the Bill, especially, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Human Rights Groups, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the Media, the Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria amongst others.

As the Police and other Security Forces intensify their offensive against bandits terrorizing parts of the country, the IGP accompanied by the DIG Operations, Abdulmajid Ali visited Sokoto and Zamfara States, two of the States in the North West currently experiencing the challenges of armed banditry and other associated crimes.

The visit, which is to enable the IGP conduct an on-the-spot evaluation of operational and deployment strategies currently in place in both states.

While addressing the officers of both Commands, the IGP charged them to be on the offensive, take the battle to the bandits’ camp and ensure total reclamation and domination of all the public spaces occupied by them and bring them to justice.

In a Town Hall Meeting held in Gusau, capital of Zamfara State which drew participants from relevant stakeholders, including; top government officials – Secretary to Zamfara State Government Prof. Abdullahi Muhammad, Chief of Staff of Zamfara State Government, Engr Abdullahi Abulkarim –  Traditional Rulers, Local Government Chairmen, Farmers Association, Mityetti Allah, Religious Leaders amongst others, the IGP commiserated with the community members particularly those who lost their loved ones or incurred one loss or another as a result of the activities of the bandits. He, however, called on the people to support the security agencies with human intelligence and any relevant information that could aid the success of the operation.

On their part, the stakeholders commended the Federal Government for banning mining activities in their area. They equally requested for increased deployment of Policemen to their communities, even as they prayed that the members of the Civilian Joint Task Force be allowed to join the Police in tackling the menace of bandits in their communities.

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