ZAMFARA SECURITY: Gov Matawalle provides 1,500 motorcycles, 20 vehicles for anti-banditry fight

By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau

Governor of Zamfara State, Hon Mohammed Bello  Matawalle, has provided the recently launched Community Protection Guards (CPG) with 1,500 specially equipped motorcycles and 20 specially treated vans, all equipped with lawfully allowed weapons for their take-off.

He made this revelation during a statewide broadcast at the Government House Gusau, on Tuesday.

He said the state government would continue to improve on the newly established CPG in order to have sufficient and efficient complement  to the law enforcement agents working in the state.

Governor Matawalle noted the relative peace recorded in some of the Local Government Areas and announced that an emergency number (112) has now been provided for citizens in the state to call on emergency situations any time free of charge.

In response to increasing criminal activities of bandits gradually crawling in to the outskirts of Gusau City, Governor Matawalle announced the banning of riding of motorcycles in these areas from 8pm to 6am.

He ordered security operatives to shoot at defaulters of the directive who refuse to stop or resist arrest.

Another measure announced is a directive to all hotels in the state to seek proper identification of their customers with any valid card such as National ID card, driver’s licence, voters card and so on, with warning that any defaulting hotel in the state will be severely penalised in line with the executive order recently signed by the governor.

Governor Matawalle called on the people to remain vigilant and report activities of informants whom he said are so far, being arrested in numbers. He said the Government has recently ordered for the census of all house holds in the state to fish out the bad eggs who reside among the people with sole intent to perpetrate criminality by aiding the activities of bandits.

He also charged security operatives to re-double their efforts in dealing with the bandits and their collaborators in the state.