Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has sounded a note of warning to bandits and their informants in the state, threatening that his government was ready to deal with them.
The governor who stated this in a video aired by Gaskiya News Hausa, boasted that the state government had got support from the federal government and international bodies to go all out against the criminal.
He called on people in the state to provide information on the criminal to security agencies.
He stressed the impact of insecurity on education and agriculture in the state, saying banditry had disrupted schooling and farming activities and had set the state back.
“I’m warning you all, I swear to God Almighty, we are now fully ready to confront bandits, and we have started. We have gotten enough support from the Federal Government of Nigeria and the foreign governments to do the needful.
“I was in Borgu three days ago, and I told them, but they thought I was joking. But the way and manner I spoke to them, they should understand that it is no longer business as usual,” he said.
Bago urged residents to join hands to rid the state of the menace, not to hide bandits or their informants, and to provide information to the security agencies.
The governor disclosed that technology was in place to monitor communications linked to criminal activities.
“Don’t hide them, don’t hide informants or any suspects in your houses and forests. Give us information, and we will pick them up.
“Niger State’s agriculture and education have been hampered. Students no longer attend boarding schools, and this has set us back.
“For the informants present here, we have gadgets capable of tracking and monitoring your calls, and if we discover you spoke or were in communication with bandits or anyone on our wanted list, we will add you to the list of wanted bandits and informants.
“If any informant goes missing, I, Bago, am responsible for their disappearance. I swear to Almighty God to hold me responsible. If you know any informants and you are here, I, Bago, will hunt you down,” he said.
