By Dauda R PamMaiduguri
Borno state government has declared it’s willingness to partner with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in order to effectively provide protection to farmers in collaboration with Agro Rangers to avoid a repeat of the Zabarmari farmers killings across the state more so that IDPs are returning to their ancestral homes.
This was the response of BORNO state GOVERNOR, BABAGANA UMARA ZULUM, while receiving in audience the commandant general of the NSCDC,Abdullahi Gana Mohammed,who paid a condolence visit to the government and people of the state over the recent massacre of ZABARMARI farmers in Koshefe village.
“I want to thank you for the sympathy and condolence visit and also to assure you that government will partner with you in hosting the workshop on security aimed at protecting our farmers”.
Earlier in an address,the commandant general of the NSCDC,Abdullahi Gana Mohammed, represented by the Assistant commandant general, Training and Manpower,Zakari Ibrahim Ningi,said the basic responsibility of any government is to ensure security and welbeing of its citizens as there can never be any meaningful development if it’s citizens are traumatized by security challenges.
He said,”We are here to condole the government and people of BORNO state over the killing of over 40 farmers in ZABARMARI village and to also solicit for cooperation and assistance from the government on the proposed 2-day capacity building workshop for officers and men in the Northeast as part of efforts to address the security challenges facing the zone.
According to him,“the training is part of the strategy. We are trying to review the strategy and see where we have done better and where we need to restrategize. This is the essence of this proposed workshop and His Excellency had come out to say he is ready to partner with NSCDC that the state government will assist the Agro Rangers in protecting our farmers.”
” The concept of Agro Rangers was the initiative of our commandant General which has been effective and has help in no small way in ensuring that our farmers get to their farms and do their farming activities safely”, he added..
On the issues of recruitment and deployment of more men of NSCDC to Borno state, the Commandant General said ” today the 8th of December, 2020 is the day of writing examination for the recruitment into the NSCDC. I assured you more Borno indigenes will be employed and deployed to the state”.
