Insecurity: Cleric seeks community leaders involvement in intelligence gathering

A cleric, Sheikh Jamiu Bello, on Saturday, called for the active participation of community leaders in intelligence gathering to enhance security in the country.

Bello, the Chief Imam of Ado-Ekiti and President-General, League of Imams and Alfas in the South-West, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti.

The Islamic cleric also urged the public to continue to intensify their support and prayers for the leaders in finding lasting solutions to the security challenges facing the nation.

According to him, there is the need to adopt a more tactical approach, in the form of intelligence gathering and proactive measures to contain the perpetrators of the heinous acts in their own game.

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“If you look critically, the mode of the abduction of the Kankara school children since the first case in Chibok some years ago followed the same trend.

” The insurgents or bandits posing as security personnel are very similar in the cases of abduction witnessed.

“But with more involvement of community leaders, youths, women, civil society organisations and advocacy groups in intelligence gathering, it will go a long in assisting in reducing this security menace,” he said.

Bello urged the government to beef up security in the border communities to tackle kidnapping, especially during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

“A lot of people will be travelling this period and coupled with the increase in the volume of vehicular movement on the roads because it is common in the last three months of the year.

“There is bound to be an upsurge in criminal activities along with these border communities which can only be tackled with adequate surveillance and patrols by security personnel,” he said.

The Islamic cleric said his office and that of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Ekiti chapter, headed by Alhaji Yakubu Azeez, had intensified efforts toward educating Muslims on the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are not leaving any stone unturned by enlightening our Muslim brothers and sisters to the need to observe the COVID-19 protocols to stay safe and healthy.

“As religious leaders, we will continue to do our best in ensuring the growth and development of our nation as well as improve the overall wellbeing and welfare of the citizenry,” Bello added.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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