Niger State has passed a law to establish a security trust fund as part of efforts to tackle the challenge of insecurity occasioned by incessant bandit attacks in the state.
The governor of the state, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, on Thursday, passed into law the bill in order to have a sustainable funding mechanism to curtail the insecurity issues in the state.
Speaking during a press briefing after the state executive council meeting in Minna, the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matene, said that the Trust Fund will help the government to canvass for funds within and outside the state.
Matane said: “The government alone cannot fund security in the state and needs additional support from organisations and individuals.
“The Fund is meant to support and assist the state in its fight against insecurity.”
Matane disclosed that a board would be established to determine the management of the fund, adding that the government would not interfere with the Trust Fund.
‘Commercial motorcycles, tricycles to me registered’
Also, the state Ministry of Transportation, in its efforts to monitor activities of motorcyclists and tricycle riders in the state, has directed the registration of all commercial motorcycles and tricycles in the state as they will no longer be allowed to ply the roads in the state without adequate registration.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ibrahim Garba Musa, said that all commercial motorcycle and tricycle drivers must have a rider’s card that will permit them to ply the roads, adding that the cards would be renewable every two years.
“The registration of motorcycles and tricycles in the state is to enable the state to have a database of these riders in the state so that they can be tracked.
“This is because we have a lot of motorcycles and tricycles without registration numbers.
“This will also help us to cut down their excesses.”
The Permanent Secretary also disclosed that trackers and CCTV would be placed across the state to help track down vehicles that violate traffic laws across the state.
