The Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle, has urged residents of Sokoto State to report any jobless individuals living extravagant lifestyles to security agencies.
Matawalle made this call while addressing stakeholders at the Sokoto State Governor’s office, emphasizing that such individuals, if investigated, could potentially be informants for the bandits causing unrest in the region.
The minister, who visited Sokoto alongside the Chief of Defence, General Christopher Musa, on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, stressed the importance of community support in the fight against banditry in Northern Nigeria.
Matawalle urged the people of Sokoto to actively cooperate with security agencies by providing vital information that could aid in tackling the escalating insecurity in the state. He highlighted that the success of security operations heavily relies on the intelligence gathered from local residents.
He said; “Like what we did while I was the governor of Zamfara State, let me call on the people of Sokoto State to always give information to the security agents.
“If you see someone who is not doing any work and such a person is changing cars, spending money lavishly, please do not hesitate to report such person, as such person is liable to be an informant to bandits.
“We are here to crush the bad elements in our midst and by the special grace of God, we are crushing the bad elements among us. We have also employed 200 persons from each of the 23 local governments into the service of Sokoto Community Guard Corps, to complement the job of the security team in the state.
“As you are aware, the issue of security is not for public consumption, so your Excellency, we are doing a lot. I am sure with your coming today, the people of the state will sleep with their two eyes closed, having known that you are a man of your word.”
