Use economic prosperity of border settlements to fight banditry, Senate deputy leader tells states
By Dele Moses, Ilorin
The Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Lola Ashiru, has urged states prone to banditry, kidnapping and terrorist attacks to be more strategic in their focus on their inter-state or international border areas in efforts to combat the attacks effectively.
He said that not only security detailing should be considered for settlements along the border areas of the affected states but arrangement should also be made for economic prosperity of those settlements.
Ashiru who made the advice while hosting executive members of the Correspondents’ chapel of the Kwara State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) who paid him a visit at his residence in Offa town of the state said economic prosperity in a settlement has a way of gingering an effective security in the settlement.
“I feel our border links with neighbouring communities must be well managed. The first and most important step is to spread prosperity across these areas,” he said.
“Prosperity has a lot of influence on people’s ability to resist aggression, whether verbal or physical,” he stated.
Ashiru, who represents Kwara South Senatorial District at the Senate, said that settlements at the fringe areas fall within the first line of defence against external threats and advised that the settlements deserve special attention in security arrangement.
“We should give adequate attention to these peripheral settlements because before internal aggression can occur, there must be collaboration from within. When people are satisfied with the system, the likelihood of supporting criminal activities or external aggressors becomes very low,” he advised
The lawmaker urged states sharing boundaries to adopt a coordinated approach by investing in the welfare and development of their border communities.
“Niger State should protect its territory by spreading prosperity, Kwara State should do the same, and Kogi State should also ensure prosperity along the Eruku and Koro axis. If we adopt this approach, issues of killings and insecurity will be greatly curtailed,” he said.
The politician, who condoled the people of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State over the deadly attacks on both communities last week, offered prayers for the repose of the souls of those who were killed.
