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The federal government Tuesday took stock of the state of emergency declared in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, with an assurance to Nigerians that the worst days are over.
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu (SAN), said, following the military expedition in the wake of the emergency rule that has routed out Islamic militants from their enclaves in the three states, normalcy was gradually returning to the area.
His Interior counterpart, Abba Moro, also assured the people that the nation would soon know peace as the emergency rule is yielding the desired results. As part of efforts to curb the terrorists’ access to explosives from which they make local bombs, Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd), on his part, explained that the federal government had set up 10 new sub-units of Explosive Ordnance Departments (EODs) to check illegal use of the materials.
The ministers all spoke yesterday in Abuja at the ongoing ministerial platform organised by the Federal Ministry of Information. Tanimu, taking his turn at the occasion, said Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States were almost enjoying relative peace now.
Tanimu who is also the chairman, Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of security challenges in the North, noted that there was improved cooperation between the citizens and security agencies in the North.
He added that parents and community members who shielded insurgents from arrest in the past now exposed them to the Joint Military Task force (JTF). Giving stewardship of the agencies under his ministry, Tanimu said capital appropriation of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRM) rose from N33 million in 2008 to N250 million in 2011 with 100 per cent budget quotient.
He also announced that the federal government would take over and complete all abandoned constituency projects initiated by former National Assembly members in line with the mandate of the ministry as directed by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Moro, who also spoke at the ministerial platform, said the emergency rule was part of government efforts to restore peace to the areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The minister used the opportunity to list the achievements of his ministry during the period under review and expressed satisfaction with what he described as the superlative efforts put in place by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in ensuring the protection of major assets of the nation, including oil pipelines and prevention of oil theft through bunkering.
He revealed that to further police the nation’s borders, the mobile border patrol unit is being strengthened for effective surveillance. Moro said the country’s Illegal borders were demarcated by woods and tyres, which had made it easier for illegal entries into the country. He added that the 1, 497 illegal routes and 84 legal routes were identified by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
When it was Olubolade’s turn at the forum, he said the federal government had set up 10 new sub-units of EODs to check illegal use of explosive materials.
According to him, the establishment of the units followed a presidential directive that all companies involved in the use of
explosive materials should be registered.
According to him, the units are located in Bauchi, Birnin Kebbi, Dutse, Gombe, Gusau, Lafia, Jalingo, Lagos and Minna.
Olubolade said the measure was to guard against illegal use of the materials in view of the rising incidence of terrorism in the country. He added that pragmatic steps had been taken to transform the police and address insecurity in the country in the last two years.
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