Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has urged the people to be vigilant and security conscious to check the spate of abduction in parts of the state.
Mohammed made the call while inaugurating distribution of empowerment kits to 500 youth and women under the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP), on Saturday in Toro, Toro Local Government Area of the state.
He also charged local council chairmen and community leaders to be vigilant on strangers coming to settle in their respective areas.
“We have paid attention to the issue of security because it is key and Toro LGA is a place that is most disturbed by insecurity.
“It is being disturbed by insecurity not because the people of the area are criminals or they are harbouring criminals but due to its geographical location and the movement of criminals from the North West, North Central and the North East.
“I am calling on the people of Toro to know that security is a communal issue.
“We have a joint task force always paying attention to Toro, however, I am disturbed by the spate of abduction and state of insecurity.
“It is the only local government area that is almost defying solution but we are going to do more and we are doing more,” he said.
Mohammed, however, said that his administration had performed well in the area of health, education and empowerment in the state.
The governor expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government and development partners to improve the quality of lives of the people of the state.
In her remarks, Hajiya Sa’adatu Kirfi, Commissioner for Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, said the state government accorded premium to the empowerment programme to create jobs, reduce poverty and enhance wealth creation in the society.
Kirfi said that the government had initiated a N500 million interest-free loan to support small businesses in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had disbursed N75 million worth of economic strengthening equipment to the beneficiaries during the exercise in Toro.
The items distributed include 52 motorcycles, 20 grinding machines, 54 sewing machines, three buses, cash as well as goats to pastoralists among others.