By Francis Nansak
In recent times insecurity is heightened around communities of Nasarawa State especially in Lafia the State Capital. This unimaginable circumstance can only be withal with proper strategic planning and support from the government and as well from some well to do private spirited individuals.
The second and third quarter of last year 2024 was not the best of times for residents of the state ,where on a weekly basis one incident of kidnapping, killing and rape was reported sending wrong signal to potential investors .
Although the state government on her part tried mitigating the menace but however fall short of the realization that the functional security apparatus in the state needs more support and mobility to curb the raising insecurity within the state
Most police divisions in the state are poorly mobilized in both man power and equipment. Investigation revealed that some police divisions in Karu ,Nasarawa and the divisions in Lafia can hardly fuel the only available vehicle to the station for proper operation.
Divisions like Panda , Uke , Angwan Lambu ,Udege and B division in Lafia can only boost of a operational vehicle and not more than 6 to 7 men on patrol, making thorough surveillance and information gathering fruitless for proactive policing.
Further checks by this Newspaper unravel what is bequeathed to police divisions in the state,the proximity of the state to the federal capital territory is such that a division should at least earned not less than Five Hundred Thousand Naira (#500,000) if not more and having two to three patrol vehicles for effective policing,but the opposite is the case as some police divisions gets not more than Thirty Thousand Naira (#30,000) each month.
Aside the poor financial support to this all important sector to manned their jurisdictions in arriving at securing the lives and properties as enshrined in the police act ,it greatest challenge is inadequate man power, some divisions can not boast of having up to 50 personnel.
This compounding challenges in a fast growing state as Nasarawa State with a daily influx of people from across Nigeria states also goes with increase in crime yet with little efforts from the security who are rendered handicap in effecting their core mandate across the over 100 divisional headquarters that are under the supervision of about if not 6 Area commands.
Reacting to questions put across to the Nasarawa State Police Command Spokesman CSP Ramhan Nansel he refuted some of the claims saying “In this new year, there’s a decline in kidnapping all over the state As for the corper that was killed, police have done their part and are still doing more in regards to the case.
” Another case of killing that involved a young lady found lifeless at Ombi 1 ,though reported by the media ,but as I speak with you no official communication has been lodged as such I can’t speak about it.You re aware that the current CP is newly posted to the state yet he has taken far reaching actions as well made significant progress in tackling crime and criminality” He disclosed.
OBSERVERS TIMES report that the state government have in the past distributed vehicles reaching the Army ,Police, DSS,NSCDC and to other paramilitary security agencies ,there is need for more on the part of the government to sufficiently boost security operation in the state.
There is an a growing interest in the potential of Nasarawa State, with governor stride in industrializing the state and the partnership it has established with China,U.S.A , Britain in agriculture ,mining and manufacturing. Therefore Prioritizing Security by deliberate furnishing in equipment, financing and strategic planning can curb the raising insecurity which poises a great setback to investors and citizens alike will create wealth and stability in the state.
In this light the new Commissioner of Police Shettima Jauro Mohammed is laden with a task of ensuring that his tactic to tackling crime is unwavering , with a sense of patriotism and true collaboration with other sister security agencies is unhindered, in order to arriving at wooing the commitment of the state government for adequate support.
