Laleye Dipo in Minna
Despite the incessant raids on communities across the state by bandits and terrorists, the Niger State Commissioner for Pastoral and Nomadic Affairs, Alhaji Umaru Sanda Rabe, has said that there are no bandits or bandits’ camps in the state.
Rabe said the bandits and terrorists that have been terrorising the state carry out the invasions from neighbouring states.
Speaking to journalists in Minna yesterday, the commissioner, however, disclosed that the government has commenced the profiling of herders migrating into the state from neighbouring states as part of measures to tackle banditry, cattle rustling and other security threats.
“There are no established bandit camps within Niger State,” the Commissioner declared, insisting that “most criminal elements responsible for attacks operate on a ‘hit-and-run’ basis, crossing into the state from neighbouring states before retreating.”
Rabe attributed the security situation in the state to its vastness and sharing of borders with Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kogi States and the Republic of Benin.
Pointing out that the state’s strategic location makes it vulnerable to incursions by criminal elements.
He disclosed that the state has an estimated livestock population of four million, with most of them in the Niger South senatorial district, which has been battling cattle rustling.
Rabe said to check the situation, the government has introduced stricter regulations on livestock movement.
“The ministry is working closely with security agencies, particularly the Police, to ensure that no livestock is transported out of Niger State without the necessary legal permits,” he said.
On the influx of herders into parts of the state, the commissioner revealed that the government, in collaboration with security agencies, has begun a comprehensive profiling exercise to ensure the new arrivals do not pose security risks to communities in the state.
He said officials have visited communities in Gbeganu, Kutigi, Lapai and Gurara, where the affected herders are being profiled and required to provide guarantors who could vouch for their character and conduct.
Rabe also disclosed that the government is committed to improving the welfare of the herders, disclosing that 275 nomadic schools are currently operational across the state, while 60 boreholes have been constructed in Fulani settlements to improve access to water for both humans and livestock.