From Naseer Mijinyawa Minna
It has been discovered that Armed bandits in Niger State usually carry out intensive initiatives on communities before launching their offensive attacks, Special adviser on security matters to the Niger State Governor, Gen(rtd) Ndagulu Abubakar Imam has indicated.
He spoke when he appeared before the Justice Danladi Ahmed Baddegi Judicial Commission of inquiry sitting in Minna.
He disclosed that 99 percent of the attacks on most of the communities were being carried out by armed bandits adding that whenever such incident occured in any of the communities, the first place to get information from is the Local Government chairman of the affected area as the chief security officer of the Local Government.
Testifying under cross examination by the counsel when he appeared before the commission, Barrister Musa Suleiman, the security adviser to Niger State Governor stated that his mandate is to advise the governor on security related issues and other matters that may pose any security threat to the state.
Equally he told the commission that his main function is to coordinate all the works of security agencies in the state whenever there is any security threat for prompt action.
Members of the Security council in the state according to the security adviser include the Governor who presides over the council meeting, commissioner of police in the state, and the director of Department of Security Services (DSS). “Other members of the security council are the Brigade commander of the Nigeria army, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) and the Commissioner for Locals Government and Cheiftancy and Internal Security who coordinates the activities of the vigilante group in the state.
He said the meeting of the council is being held monthly or weekly as the case may be adding that at times it is being presided over by the secretary to the state Government who is also a member of the council.
Continuing he said the permanent secretary cabinet and security in the Government House serves as the secretary of the council.
According to him, he at times preside over the meeting in his capacity as the security adviser whenever the need arose stating that in an emergency when any urgent security matter crops up he presides.
Speaking further, the retired military general explained that it is at the state security council meeting that some issues relating to security are always being discussed in the presence of all the security chiefs in the state.
He added that from then the next line of action would be taken collectively.
When further cross examined by the counsel on if he had any security map to identify any security risk proned area in the state, he told the commission that as a trained military officer the only map he was familiar with, was typographical map he is not aware of any security map that identifies security risk probed area in the state.
He explained to the commission that as a retired military general of the Nigeria army the typography map was the only map that they are familiar with.
“It is the only map we use to identify any of the terrains that the enemies are located for us to move in.
He maintained that the activities of armed bandits on most of the communities are carried out through offensive attacks that is usually well coordinated.
He explained further that immediately they launched their attack they will disappear in to the forest so they cannot be trace by security agencies.
He told the commission that being a fact finding panel the outcome of the commission will reveal those behind the killings in the affected communities”
He said for him, to say this or that were behind the killings will be prejudice.
He told the commission that with their permission he will make available to them some findings that will further assist them in their work.
However, the commission could not take the submission from the chairman of Mashegu local government area Alhaji Ahmed Mazakuka as some of the memorandum expected to be submitted to the commission were not completed.
At that point, the counsel representing the council chairman Barrister Musa Suleiman then requested for a date and the chairman of the commission Justice Danladi Ahmed Baddegi then adjourned the sitting to December, 29 2021.