Northern govs endorse community policing

The Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, says his counterparts have agreed to key into the community policing to tackle the security challenges facing the region.

Governor Lalong said this on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while fielding questions from journalists after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the gunmen attack on Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) of his State which claimed 13 lives.

The governor said normalcy had been restored to the area as his prompt visit to the scene stopped reprisal attack that had already claimed three lives.

He said the “patriotic youth” of the LGA challenged the gunmen, arrested four attackers who were handed over to the police and rescued 100 cows from the rustlers who later returned with sophisticated weapons to kill people.

The governor, who said there was an ongoing investigation into the incident, added that the security agencies had been deployed to arrest the culprits.

Lalong, who was asked whether his colleagues in the north central would consider putting up a security outfit like “Amotekun” in south west, said, “When you talk about north central, I am chairman of northern governors forum, we have taken a decision sometime last year. You will recall that at one time we met the president and we told him what we were doing. We set up committees and the committees have worked very hard. You will recall that we started our meeting from the northwest in Katsina. We are going back to have another meeting in north central.

“The situation in the south might not be the same with the north. But in the north, we are also looking at some ways that will also address these issues. So, we have gone ahead to set up committees, those committees have done their work and we are going to meet to address these issues once and for all.

“Two, we have also agreed to key into the community policing. And at the level of the committee, we have already gone far. Each state is already neck deep in community policing.

“But I have not read the document, I cannot claim to have read the details of that (Amotekun) document, to understand what they mean by Amotekun. I saw various vehicles that were bought. But you know if it’s about vehicles, many vehicles have been bought in the north. I bought almost 100 vehicles and gave to the police. But that is not what will address the insecurity in my state.

“So, it may vary from south to the north. But in the north, we are trying to look for comprehensive ways that will help augment what the federal government is doing in respect to insecurity.

“In Plateau state particularly, all of these things had stopped. We were not witnessing cattle rustling again. I knew what I did. We were not witnessing kidnapping again even without the law in my state. But this attempt just happened and it has re-awakened me to something else. That is why I am going back to look at another window in respect to cattle rustling.”

On his visit to Mr President and the details of what transpired during the attack, Governor Lalong said, “I have just seen Mr President. There was also an attack early yesterday (Thursday) and up to the afternoon when I got there.

“My seeing the President was to brief him because there are usually briefing from security. He usually has proper briefings from the chief security officer direct. From my own assessment of what has happened and if we want intervention of what we want to be done in the state to curtail the situation.