Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle has provided the newly launched Community Protection Guards (CPG) with 1,500 specially equipped motorcycles and 20 specially treated vans, all equipped with lawfully allowed weapons for their take-off.
He made this revelation during a state-wide broadcast at the Government House this morning. He said the state Government will continue to improve on the newly established Community Protection Guards in order to have sufficient and efficient complement to the law enforcement agents working in the state.
Governor Matawalle noted the relative peace recorded in some of the Local Government areas in the state and announced that an emergency number (112) has now been provided for citizens in the state to call on emergency situations any time free of charge.
In response to increasing criminal activities of bandits gradually crawling in to the outskirts of Gusau City, Governor Matawalle announced the banning of riding of motorcycles in these areas from 8pm to 6am. He ordered security operatives to shoot at defaulters of the directive who refuse to stop or avoid arrest.
Another measure announced is a directive to all hotels in the state to seek proper identfication of their customers with any valid card such as National ID card, driver's licence, voters card etc. Any defaulting hotel in the state will be severely penalised. This is in line with an executive order recently signed by the Governor.
Governor Matawalle called on the people to remain vigilant and report activities of informants whom he said are so far, being arrested in numbers. He said the Government has recently ordered for the census of all house holds in the state to fish out the bad eggs who reside among the people with sole intent to perpetrate crimnality by aiding the activities of bandits
He also charged security operatives to re-double their efforts in dealing with the bandits and their collaborators in the state.