The unbecoming security situation in Wurno local government area of Sokoto state has become a source of concern to citizens, chairman of the council, Alhaji Abba Isah Sadiq Achida, has stated.
“The activities of bandits are now almost a daily affair in various parts of my local government and the people no longer sleep with their two eyes closed,” he stated.
He further said that several innocent lives and precious property had been lost, following the activities of bandits in the area.
He said: “The killings and abductions are too much. Several people have been killed and maimed. We currently have nothing less than 100 innocent people in the hands of the bandits as captives.
“Thousands of people can no longer sleep peacefully in their towns and villages as they daily troop to Achida town, which is more of a safe haven for them.
“They come in the evenings, only to sleep in Achida town and move back to their abodes during the daytime.
“They sleep in primary schools and any available space they can find. You can imagine the psychological and emotional trauma they daily face.
“We are doing our best to complement the efforts of the state government and the security agencies to tackle this situation.”
The chairman also decried how the men of the underworld routinely block major roads in the early parts of the night especially on Achida and Goronyo market days.
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‘Mass police redeployment signals shift to community-based policing’
By Oguntade Ismaila
Lagos
The sweeping redeployment of hundreds of police officers across Nigeria by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has triggered mixed reactions nationwide, with critics questioning the scale of the exercise even as security experts point to its potential long-term gains.
The transfers, which cut across major cities including Abuja, Lagos, and Kano, saw officers moved from zonal commands and administrative roles to divisions and other frontline formations in a move widely interpreted as a strategic shift in policing approach.
While some officers and observers have expressed concerns about disruption within the system, the redeployment appears to be a deliberate effort to strengthen grassroots policing and improve security presence at the community level.
For years, Nigeria’s policing structure has faced criticism over disconnect between command centers and the communities they serve. In many parts of the country, police response has often been reactive, with limited visibility in neighbourhoods.
Sources indicate that a large number of the affected personnel had spent up to two decades in the same formations, largely engaged in routine administrative duties. Their redeployment is expected to inject operational experience into local divisions where manpower shortages have persisted.
Security analysts say the shift aligns with the principles of visibility policing, a model known to deter crime by increasing the presence of officers in public spaces and making them more accessible to residents.