On Wednesday, Governor Dauda Lawal presided over the Zamfara State Security Council meeting.
The security council meeting was held at the Council Chambers, Government House, Gusau.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the council discussed the establishment of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, as well as the inauguration of the Security Trust Fund board.
According to him, Governor Dauda Lawal urged collaboration and practical cooperation among the state’s security agencies for a successful fight against banditry.
During the meeting, Governor Lawal emphasised that the safety and security of citizens and their property is our top priority. “Our security council meeting aims to assess security situations and develop measures to prevent incidents.
“The state government established the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards based on your recommendations. The first batch of 2,720 completed their training last week and are now deployed in all 14 local government areas in the state.
“All necessary equipment has been provided, including office accommodations in all 14 local government areas. There are 15 operational vehicles and two Hilux pick-ups for each of the 12 local government areas, except for Gusau and Maru, which have 20 operational vehicles and four Hilux each. The following safety gear has also been provided: helmets, boots, bulletproof vests, pump-action rifles, and cartridges.”
“The objective of the CPG project is to collaborate with the local people who possess a deep understanding of the terrain to complement the efforts of security agencies. Hence, the success of this project relies on the cooperation of the heads of security agencies in the state since the standard operating procedures of the Community Protection Guards mandate that they cannot conduct any operations without the support of the military, police, and DSS.
“I want to inform the council that the state security trust fund was inaugurated today. The trust fund aims to source funds for security-related activities and procure security hardware to combat banditry and other related crimes in the state.”
Governor Lawal appealed to security agency heads to be proactive and decisive despite facing resource and other challenges.
