Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State has confirmed the presence of Ansaru terrorists and other criminal elements in the state.
Mr El-Rufa’i disclosed this on Thursday during the state security council meeting where he received the quarterly security briefing by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.
According to the governor, the rising presence of Ansar and Boko Haram terrorists in the state and their growing interaction with armed bandits was responsible for the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train on the 28th of March in which the passengers kidnapped were still in captivity.
He noted that the terrorists were moving from the Northeast to the Northwest and were now recruiting young people in to their fold in. vulnerable communities across the state.
Mr El-Rufai was concerned about the use of mines and improvised Explosive Devices, IED, by terrorists and called for the establishment of a military theater command in the region.
“The situation in the Northwest is far more serious and could be potentially more dangerous than we have ever had in the Northeast.
“We would like the military and security agencies to take notice of this before things go out of control.’’
El-Rufai thanked the police for ensuring that many IEDCs and mines found in Kaduna State were defused without loss of lives.
He also lamented the high rate of drug abuse in Kaduna State and commended the NDLEA, traditional leaders and community leaders for efforts at curtailing the scourge.
The governor stated that the government would seek legal advice to shut patent medicine stores selling illicit drugs, shut the premises and acquire the building for demolition.
“We have to take drastic action because related to every form of crime from banditry to terrorism is the use of hard drugs.
“These bandits take drugs before they commit their crimes; virtually every crime is related to drug abuse. I think we must cut the supply chain to enable us to control the demand,’’ he emphasised.
Mr El-Rufai also noted that security agencies had been overstretched and there was the need to increase recruitment into vigilance groups.
“The 1000 vigilantes that we recruited and trained at the Police College have been very useful in assisting the army, police and other security agents,’’ he said.
The governor also said that he craved the resumption of flights at the Kaduna Airport after the March 26 assailants’ attack at the facility.
“We are grateful to the Defence Headquarters for enabling the establishment of the Nigeria Defence Academy Demonstration Battalion in Kaduna State.
“I appeal to the Air Force to also have some kind of permanent deployment at the airport to secure it so that flights will resume,’’ Mr El-Rufai said.
