The Katsina State government has begun training the first batch of the 3,000 special vigilante corps in the latest effort to fight terrorism in the state.
Special adviser to Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Security Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Katsina, while inaugurating the corps members, said the training is part of the state government’s resolve to assist communities and improve the security of the state, by complimenting the efforts of conventional security agencies.
The training of the first batch of 600 out of the 3,000 vigilante corps recruited by the state government, is being held at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, College of Peace and Disaster Management.
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The corps is made up of individuals from all works of life, including the academia and judiciary from within the communities.
Ibrahim Katsina said 3,000 have been recruited, but the 600 who will start immediately, will be trained in weapons handling, armed combat, and detective work.
They will also be expected to assist in intelligence gathering.
He further warned unrepentant terrorists to have a rethink or get ready to be crushed.
The commandant of the Civil Defence College of Peace and Disaster Management, ACG Babangida Dutsinma, pledged a commitment to training the vigilante corps effectively, saying with the current strategies of the state government, Katsina will soon be the most peaceful state in the country.
Tribune Online has gathered that some of the recent successes being recorded in the state in repelling the terrorist attacks are either achieved through joint efforts with the vigilantes or in some cases, their single-handed effort.
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