Alhaji Muhammed Baba, Secretary to the Bauchi State Government (SSG), on Monday, said that the state government had taken steps to tighten security in the state due to the exodus of displaced people from neighbouring Yobe into the state.
Baba, who disclosed this at a news conference in Bauchi, shortly after an emergency security meeting, said that the measure became necessary following the recent attack on Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe state by suspected Boko Haram members, on April 26.
He cited four local governments in the state including Gamawa, Zaki, Dambam and Darazo, as bordering Yobe state, thereby making the measure imperative.
The SSG explained that the state government was working tirelessly with all the security agencies in the state to ensure that the peace and tranquility of the people of Bauchi state was not threatened, revealing that five people had been arrested for vandalizing MTN facilities in Gamawa LGA which borders Geidam local government area.
“The implication of what happened in Geidam is that there is a lot of influx of people moving into Bauchi, from Yobe. Of course, that will put a lot of strain on our facilities and resources.
“The security implication therein is also very high, the meeting today was to examine the implication of that and identify the security threats and plan on how to contain them.
“The government held this meeting with all the security stakeholders like the Commissioner of Police, Director SSS, the commander, Civil Defence Corps, head of the Airforce unit in Bauchi, among others.
“They all assured us of maximum cooperation in our attempt to have a joint patrol of the areas concerned. We will continue to profile whoever is coming into Bauchi state and any criminal activity that is noticed as people try to settle among us should be promptly reported to the security agencies.
“In Gamawa LG, we noticed an attempt to dismantle MTN facilities and such things are usually done by criminal elements in an attempt to make security impossible in an area, so that they can move in and perpetrate their activities.
“Luckily, five people have been apprehended and the equipment has been recovered from them. Our eyes are open to identify these kinds of challenges,” he said.
Baba explained that the state government was ready to provide humanitarian support to those who had already moved into the state to settle with good intentions.
“We are not going to shy away from our responsibilities, we will confront it but at the same time, we will be very careful,” he said.
Also speaking, Sylvester Alabi, the state Commissioner of Police, explained that there had been a robust cordial relationship between the police and other sister agencies in combating crime in the state.
He said that the cordial relationship had also been extended to both the Vigilante and hunters groups in the state.
“The vigilantes and the Hunters are domiciled in the various communities and they have been working assiduously in helping all the security agencies to ensure that security is guaranteed in all our communities.
He assured that the police would not allow the influx of people from neighbouring states to create problems in Bauchi state. (NAN)
