…As Government Moves to Regulate Activities of Scrap Material Merchants
…Another Food Palliative to be Rolled out to Ease Hardship’ – SSG
In response to the violent protest that erupted last week, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Monday, presided over an emergency expanded security meeting to review the situation and develop a coordinated strategy to prevent further occurrence.
The high-level meeting, which brought together heads of security agencies, Commissioners, local government chairmen and traditional rulers, focused on reviewing the security situation in the aftermath of the protests, as well as various measures to prevent future occurrences and to ensure the safety of residents across the state.
Addressing the press after the meeting, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, alongside the Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Usman and heads of other security agencies, provided details of the deliberations.
The SSG said, “The government recognises that the protest was primarily driven by the current economic hardship. We are deeply concerned about the welfare of our citizens and are committed to addressing these issues promptly. We acknowledge that security is everybody’s business and therefore, urge members of the public to remain supportive of the government and the security agencies in ensuring security of lives and property.
“As part of renewed efforts to address the hardship, the government plans to roll out another round of food palliatives to support vulnerable households across the state. This initiative, the 19th in the series, aims to provide immediate relief and ensure that no resident goes hungry during these trying times.”
In response to public concerns about the activities of scrap materials merchants, popularly known as Bola- Jari in the state, the SSG disclosed that Governor Yahaya has directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Zubair Muhammad Umar, to work out operational modalities to regulate their activities in the state.
The SSG said the council commended the security agencies for their prompt intervention in tackling the situation and preventing escalation, and the governor for showing exemplary leadership during and in the aftermath of the protests.
The Commissioner of Police, who spoke on behalf of other heads of security agencies, reiterated the commitment of the security agencies to maintain law and order, safety of residents, while urging the public to remain calm and peaceful. He emphasised that security forces are on high alert to prevent any further breach of law and order.
“We are committed to ensuring the safety of lives and property; we urge all residents to cooperate with the authorities and refrain from any actions that could lead to violence or disruption. We cannot allow any actions that are capable of jeopardising our peace. We are not against any protest as far as it follows the rules,” the CP declared.
He added that security agencies have made several arrests in connection with the looting of both public and private properties during the violent protests, with several valuable items already recovered. He urged those who lost property to report to the police headquarters to verify if their items are among those recovered for immediate handover.
