Some states in the North West as well as Niger and Nasarawa States In the North Central are to employ three (3000) local vigilante operatives who are to work hand-in-hand with the conventional security operatives in fighting armed bandit activities.
Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari who gave the declaration during a Press Conference said the Governors of Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger and Nasarawa State have met and agreed to embark on the recruitment exercise as a way of enhancing the productivity of the ongoing operation.
Commending the effort of the states toward this direction, Dr. Kabir Adamu the owner of Beacon Consultancy said the initiative is good and timely considering the fact that the recent security architecture in the country has left a vacuum, especially at the level of states and local governments.
When asked if (3000) vigilante operatives can match over (10,000) armed bandits operating in the states mentioned, the security expert said, the recruitment is just a step out of many that are supposed to be taken to crush the bandits and their heinous activities.
He said those to be recruited need to be trained separating between the activities of the different bandits that operate within the areas noting that, there are those bandits who take arms to defend themselves against herders-farmers clashes, there are the outlawed bandits who take arms to revolt against the state and there are those who took arm to kidnap for ransom.
He advised that the state governments that are to embarked on this new exercise should learn from the mistakes of some North East states and take appropriate steps of verifying the credibility of those members of a vigilante to be recruited.
He further advised that the vigilante should have been used appropriately in information and intelligence gathering so that their input can best be used in the conventional fight against banditry
