Yuletide

Kano police unveil community-centric strategy for enhanced security as 2023 runs out

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Kano State Police Command outlined its commitment to fostering peace and security as the year 2023 approaches its final hours. 

This was announced in a statement released by the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, via his official Facebook handle. 

According to Kiyawa, a community-based approach is needed to tackle criminal activities, especially violent and associated crimes in the state. 

CP Gumel stated that the new strategy aims to eliminate bottlenecks and encourages residents to provide timely information and intelligence on suspected individuals within their communities.

The command has actively engaged with traditional and religious leaders to mobilise support from residents, urging them to collaborate with the police in the fight against crime. 

“There is no more space for any form of criminality in our area of supervision as competent intelligence officers have been deployed in and out side the metropolis round the clock to build confidence of the people and beep up the desired security relentlessly,” revealed CP Gumel during the press briefing.

Emphasising a zero-tolerance stance on criminality, the CP urged the public to continue volunteering information to the nearest security outfits for prompt action.

Area commanders and Division Police Officers have been briefed on specific security measures to be implemented in their respective areas, ensuring a continued atmosphere of peace, especially during the Yuletide season and the transition into the new year. 

As a final note, CP Gumel extended heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the people of Kano State, expressing optimism for a new year filled with hope, aspirations, and opportunities.

The CP conveyed a message of joy, peace, and prosperity, echoing the sentiments of the entire Officers and Men of the Kano State Police Command. 

The Kano State Police Command remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding the well-being of residents and maintaining peace across the state. 

Yuletide: Corruption has overtaken Nigeria’s free train tickets

By Aliyu Nuhu

The federal government of Nigeria announced free rail tickets for Nigerians during the holidays, for ten good days. But the following day, all tickets went into an ambush of corruption, and people had to buy them at very exorbitant prices. As a matter of fact, people would have fared better if FG had not made the free offer. What went wrong?

As usual, with the shambolic government approach to issues, the process was left for corruption to dictate who gets and who doesn’t get the tickets. In addition, railway workers racketeered the process, leaving harpless Nigerians at their mercy. Government has its own problem, but we are our own worst enemies. We are wicked even to ourselves.

Even though not free, the airlines’ tickets are all being bought in advance by racketeers. You can’t book online. All flights have been booked, and you have to go to the airport and buy on the spot from touts and corrupt airline officials. A plane ticket from Abuja to Kano goes for 95,000 instead of 30,000. The worst is that the tickets are not bearing people’s names. So in the event of an accident, the families of victims will have serious problems with airlines and insurance companies. It also compromises internal security.

The federal government wanted to give rice millers N10m loans each as a loan. But right from the onset, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) itself sabotaged the process through corruption. NIRSAL was the disbursing agency. CBN appointed a vendor to receive the money and give the millers equipment worth ten million naira. But the vendor supplies goods that are only worth six million in the market. He makes cool four million doing nothing while the millers are saddled with ten million debt. This is Nigeria. Corruption finds official approval, and the rest of Nigerians keyed in.

This country is beyond redemption. No one can save Nigeria. We are too wicked, too lawless, too selfish and just too corrupt to allow our country to work. We corrupt everything!

Aliyu writes from Abuja, Nigeria.