Borno: Zulum Fingers Security Personnel In Criminal Activities

By Ayodele Oni

Following an increase in social vices in Borno State, Governor  Babagana Zulum, has announced a ban of the sale of alcoholic contents in the State.

This is coming as the governor also attributed rising crime and anti-social vices in Maiduguri, the state capital and its environs to the involvement of Military personnel and other security forces.

Zulum, who announced the ban while inaugurating the newly reconstituted committee tasked with the “revocation of illegal hotels, brothels, shanties, and criminal hideouts and curbing the menace of antisocial vices,” said if the state is to get rid of insurgency, terrorism and other sorts of criminalities, the ban on alcohol must be in place.

Zulum said; “I am happy to know that army officers are here, especially the military, police, and others are here because most of these activities were committed by whom?

“Some of them are dismissed army officers, dismissed security officers, current army officers, men and officers, including civilians.

“So, there should be no sacred cow in this matter, if we want the Maiduguri metropolis and indeed the state to get rid of insurgency, terrorism and other sorts of criminalities.”

The governor also accused both former and serving security personnel of fostering criminal behaviour, radicalism, prostitution, and other vices, which he noted exacerbated terrorism threats across the state.

While empowering the committee with a renewed mandate, Zulum stressed the need to rid Maiduguri and its surroundings of criminal elements and social decay, adding that the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol was a response to the increasing prevalence of cultism, rival gang clashes, prostitution, drug abuse, thuggery, and theft, incidents that have resulted in significant loss of lives and property.

Members of the committee included representatives of the military, police, Civil Defence Corps, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in its operations.