Niger state government has debunked reports making round in the state that the government is planning to engage youths to fight against banditry in the state.
Newsmen learnt that a social media post has been making rounds across the state on Saturday morning that the state government has concluded plans to recruit about 4,000 youths across the 25 local government areas of the state to fight the security challenge in the state.
The Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mallam Abdulmalik Sarkin Daji stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna on Saturday.
He said that although the state is faced with serious security challenges, the government has no immediate plan to engage the youths in the fight against armed bandits.
According to him, the report which is making rounds on some social media are baseless and untrue.
“The report is fake and the imagination of the reporter. The state government has no immediate plan to engage our youths to fight the insecurity in the state”.
The Commissioner stated that there was no forum where he made any statement as stated by the reporter.
He noted that the state government has embraced state policing but it has not approved the engagement of youths to fight the insecurity bedevilling the state.
Speaking about the commitment of the government in combating insecurity, the Commissioner stated that the government has mobilized 2,000 local vigilantes across the state to complement the efforts of the security agencies.
He reiterated the government’s determination to end banditry and insecurity in the state.
