Following the liberty of 66 individuals kidnapped by bandits within the state, the Particular Adviser on Safety to Sokoto State governor, Colonel Ahmed Usman (Rtd), speaks with OLAKUNLE MARUF on the present state of insecurity within the state, and different components of the nation.
HOW was your profession journey within the army?
I used to be enlisted into the Nigerian Military as a member of the Direct Common Fee cadet by way of course 10. I used to be commissioned as Sapper Officer on March 4, 2000. I held a number of positions within the military, serving as an teacher, workers officer and cantonment upkeep workplace. I additionally participated in a number of peace-keeping missions across the globe in the midst of my 20 years in service. Notably amongst them had been African Union Mission in Sudan, United Nations Mission in Dafur, United Nations Group Stabilisation Mission within the Democratic Republic of Congo , the place I led group web site 101 western Brigade United Nations, Kinshasa; and group web site 511 United Nations HQ North Kivu Goma DRC in 2017.
My final unit within the military earlier than my retirement was at Multinational Joint Taskforce Mongonu North-West Borno in 2019. I’m a recipient of a number of prestigious awards and medals. After voluntarily leaving the service in 2019, I ventured into personal enterprise and consultancy. I even labored on the Division of Security and Safety of the United Nations between 2019 and 2020.
How do you see your present task as Particular Adviser on Safety Issues to the Sokoto State governor?
I’ve been working on this subject for a few years. I’ve efficiently helped quite a few purchasers improve their safety measures. I keep up to date on the newest developments in safety and constantly educate myself to offer the very best recommendation doable.
Furthermore, as a Particular Adviser for safety issues within the state, my responsibility and obligations embrace offering knowledgeable recommendation and steerage to the federal government on security-related points. This might contain assessing potential threats, growing methods to mitigate dangers, and advising on the implementation of safety measures.
I additionally collaborate with numerous stakeholders, similar to regulation enforcement businesses and intelligence companies to make sure coordinated efforts in sustaining the protection and safety of the state. I’ll proceed to do my greatest on this regard, in order to justify the boldness reposed in me by my boss and your complete folks of the state.
Given the present safety challenges the nation is going through, what do you think about to be best menace to safety in Sokoto?
From my years of expertise within the military, I’ve been concerned in numerous sort of operations throughout the size and breadth of this nation. So I do know a lot about our safety challenges. Sokoto is a part of the Northern a part of the nation being terrorised by bandits who normally come and assault our folks from the neighbouring Zamfara State and Niger Republic.
There’s this concern of kidnapping for ransom and cattle rustling however we’re dedicated in the direction of addressing them. We thank Governor Ahmed Aliyu for his unwavering help and dedication to safety within the state. The governor has not solely introduced safety as his prime precedence however has been matching his phrases with motion. Our safety businesses have been attempting their greatest and with the sort of help they’ve been getting from this authorities, I do know our safety challenges would quickly be a factor of the previous. Simply 4 days in the past, we handed over 70 model new patrol autos to safety businesses within the state. The autos, comprising Toyota Hilux and Buffalos, had been bought by the state authorities to additional strengthen the assault and surveillance capability of safety businesses within the state. There have been different measures taken, which we can’t disclose, as a result of we don’t wish to pre-empt our methods in the direction of addressing insecurity within the state.
Which areas within the state are vulnerable to safety challenges and why?
These areas near Nigerien borders and Zamfara State similar to Sabon Birni, Isa, Gorobyo, Rabah, Wurno, Gudu, Gwadabawa, Illela, Tangaza and Gada. As I stated earlier, these attackers normally come from Niger Republic and Zamfara however we is not going to relent in our effort to safe and defend our folks and communities in opposition to these terrorists. I guarantee you, we are going to quickly have the proper safety structure in place, which entails coordinating all of the apparatuses of safety within the state, together with vigilantes to nip the menace of banditry within the bud.
Regardless of authorities and safety operatives’ efforts within the Japanese Senatorial zone, folks nonetheless lament rising circumstances of assaults. What’s the approach out?
[Well] Cures for incessant assaults embrace involving all the mandatory stakeholders, similar to group leaders, conventional and spiritual leaders as a result of it will assist intelligence gathering. Then, there ought to be a sort of motivation for native vigilance teams, as a result of these folks know the terrains very effectively. They know the place these terrorists are hiding, and might help the traditional safety operatives to simply determine and take the combat to them. After all, there’s a renewed dedication from our safety personnel, which now we have been witnessing, as a result of there are ongoing army operations within the state which is recording great successes. Between final Thursday and Saturdays, the military has succeeded in rescuing 66 abductees from the bandits in Gundumi forest.
This was along with 51 folks earlier rescued from Tsauni forest in Tangaza Native Authorities Space. Our safety operatives now take the combat to them not like prior to now once they solely response to misery calls. So the pocket of assaults in some locations now’s being perpetrated by bandits who’re attempting to flee the continued coordinated army onslaught in Zamfara, Kastina and Sokoto States. And God keen, it might quickly disappear and turn into historical past.
What’s your personal response to the discharge of the 66 kidnapped individuals?
It’s a supply of pleasure, not just for their relations or the state authorities, but in addition your complete folks of the state, as a result of our folks now know that they’ve a critical authorities in place and its funding on safety is yielding constructive outcome.
The rescue is an indication of the aptitude of the military and the truth that I, because the Particular Adviser, and a retired officer within the military, perceive what it takes to encourage them to attain outcomes.
Apart offering logistics and ethical help to safety brokers, what else is the federal government engaged on to halt killings within the state?
I advised you a number of the components accountable for insecurity in our state and our plans to handle all of them. We’re arising with good insurance policies and programmes aimed toward enhancing the welfare and well-being of our folks. We wish to deal with the basis causes of the issue and with the help and prayers of our folks, we are going to get there.
The governor not too long ago confirmed that the invoice establishing group guard corps has been handed. What subsequent?
The subsequent section is implementation. We are going to be sure that we recruit folks of confirmed integrity and character into the service, present them with the mandatory coaching, logistics and welfare for them to discharge their responsibility successfully. The guards will likely be working underneath a strict supervision of workplace of the Particular Adviser on Safety Issues and standard safety outfits as effectively. Their work is to enhance and help our safety operatives in safeguarding their communities.
What are the factors to be adopted within the recruitment of those group guards?
The most effective criterion for recruitment is safety expertise; we are going to go for retired safety personnel with observe information and never those that had been dismissed due to one purpose or the opposite. We can even take a look at these indigenous individuals who have the information of the terrain with the power to speak successfully with safety personnel. However they need to bear our integrity check.
How many individuals are you going to recruit?
As many as we are able to accommodate and they are going to be recruited from the three senatorial districts. The method will likely be clear and with no political interference. I’m certain the folks of the state will commend the method of the recruitment.
Will the state make provisions for them to hold AK-47 or what weapon will they be supplied with?
You realize there are weapons which aren’t allowed for non-conventional safety operatives. They are going to carry solely gentle weapon for self-protection and most significantly, they may function underneath a strict supervision of the regulation enforcement businesses. We’re working with different safety brokers to make sure our state is totally secured and hopefully issues will enhance that our folks can go to mattress with two eyes closed.
What message do you may have for the folks of the state?
The message is safety shouldn’t be restricted to safety personnel alone or a one man enterprise. Everyone seems to be concerned. When you see any suspicious factor or any safety breach in your space, report instantly to the closest safety company. And our folks ought to assist in figuring out and reporting informants, as a result of with out them, this downside wouldn’t have escalated. We must always, due to this fact, desist from shielding these legal components. Lastly, our folks ought to help and cooperate with this authorities and safety operatives of their effort to handle our safety and different challenges bedeviling our expensive state.