By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State has warned that the insurgency in the North-West is not only more serious than what exists now in the North-East but also presents a clear danger to the 2023 general elections and census if not nipped in the bud.
The Governor, therefore, reiterated his appeal for a North-West Theatre Command which will enable a holistic approach to counter-insurgency operations across the affected states.
He also said that the proposed Theatre Command will enhance the ‘’coordination of the resources of the Armed Forces, the Police, the DSS, our respective State vigilance services, hunters and other local volunteers to fight the insurgents.”
The governor spoke at the presentation of the state’s security reports for the second and third quarters of 2022, held at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, yesterday.
While justifying the presentation of the security reports, El Rufai noted that ‘’we publish these reports in fulfilment of our obligation to the residents of this state.
‘’Citizens have legitimate expectations to be provided with consistently accurate accounts of what is going on and to be updated on the measures being taken to address the security challenge,” he said.
The governor, who lamented that the security report still shows that killings, kidnappings, injuries and threats to livelihoods have continued, prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed, and paid tributes to the victims of various crimes.
He, however, stated that ‘’figures show a pattern of reductions in the gravity of security incidents in the second and third quarters of 2022, compared to the first quarter.’
According to him, ‘’this is a consequence of the intensification of offensive security operations against the bandits in recent months.”
