Matawalle purchases 20 vehicles, 1,500 motorcycles for community guards

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has procured 20 Special Purpose Vehicles and 1,500 motorcycles to support operations of Zamfara Community Protection Guards.

Matawalle in a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday in Gusau after an all-night expanded Security Council meeting, said that the vehicles and motorcycles were fully equipped with lawful weapons for the smooth take-off of the community protection guards.

He assured that the government would continue to improve the newly established guards to fully complement the security forces in tackling criminality in the state.

Matawalle, noting the return of relative peace in some Local Government areas in the state, announced a mobile toll free number, 112, for citizens to call during emergencies in any part of the state.

The governor, however, banned the use of motorcycles from 8.00 p.m. to 6.00a.m. in some communities in the outskirts of Gusau.

The development, he said, was compelled by the recent increase in activities of bandits around the communities.

He ordered security operatives to shoot at sight defaulters who resist arrest.

Matawalle also ordered hotels operators to accommodate only customers with valid National Identity Card, Drivers licence and Voters Card.

He warned that hotels caught defaulting the order would have their licenses revoked and prosecuted in line with the Executive Order he recently signed.

The governor appealed to the people to remain vigilant and report activities of informants whom he said were being arrested in their numbers.

Matawalle declared that the state government has ordered for the headcount of households across the 19 emirates to fish out criminal elements residing among the people.

He urged security operatives to scale up effort in flushing out bandits and their collaborators and rid the state of criminality.