No hiding place for criminals in Kano State, as they are always on the run obviously of the fact of been caught and arrested by security in the state, the state Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has said.
Ganduje maintained that 95 percent of victims of kidnapped whose money was forcefully collected as ransom have been recovered and their kidnappers also arrested in the state.
The governor disclosed this at the weekend when he responded to questions from journalists in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
Ganduje further explained that the successes security agencies have realised in the state were as a result of a formidable security network instituted by his administration in collaboration with all security agencies, hunters association, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth leaders and the people of Kano. He added that cameras, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and some powerful security equipment which he cannot mention publicly are used to track and arrest criminals when they run into the state to hide.
According to him, “That is why most of the kingpins of kidnapping and other perpetrators of criminal activities in others states, when they run into Kano, assuming that it is a big city and a good hideout where they won’t be noticed, they end up being caught by security agencies.”
He said the only way out of the security challenges bedeviling Nigeria is government strong will to introduce community policing; empower security agencies with logistics and security equipment in collaboration with the citizens of the state to divulge intelligence reports and information that would assist in tracking criminals.
Ganduje said every state has its peculiar security challenge, therefore, it is left for its government to devise means of tackling the security challenges according to its security peculiarity.
The governor, while also responding to health issues in his state, said more than N200 million is saved in the account of the state Health Trust Fund monthly, which was set up to enhance healthcare services.
He said the fund was initiated to strengthen health care through the prompt provision of drugs and facilities to hospitals.
Ganduje said: “We have done much in healthcare provision to the extent that the state government had introduced a health development trust fund where five and one percent of the state and local government areas’ monthly Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) are being kept.
“Every month, we get almost N200 million into the Health Development Trust Fund which is meant for the provision of necessary and immediate health facilities, drugs among others across the state.”
He said his administration had also introduced a contributory health scheme for civil servants and their families to enable them access health services at a very affordable rate.
On education, the governor said his administration has made basic and secondary education free and compulsory for every child in the state.
“We decided that the girl-child and Almajiri system of education be given priority and integrated into the formal school system,” Ganduje added.
He said the state government had embarked on the renovation of primary and secondary schools, training of teachers and provision of instructional materials.