.Seeks protection of communities By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
Niger State government has expressed willingness to partner Nigerian Navy by donating land for the establishment of a security outpost that would provide security to riverine communities along the River Kaduna, River Niger banks and other tributaries.
The appeal is coming on the heels of the renewed hostilities by the Fulani herdsmen in the state.
The state government said that it was willing to donate hectares of land to the Nigerian Navy to enable it establish sea Port at Baro Port to provide security along the waterways following the loss of 22 lives during recent attack on Epogi village.
It would be recalled that the state government had pleaded with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, to urgently establish marine base in Baro which it said could as well serve as a good training ground for the officers.
The state Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, stated that the government was worried that the assailants were said to have escaped through the community’s waterways hence the resolve to secure the route.
The commissioner said, “With the establishments of sea port, there are indications that the port will soon start functioning to ferry travellers along waterways from Lokoja in Kogi State to Baro in Niger State and towards the hinterland.
“We want the Nigerian Navy to come and establish a base in Niger State and we are willing to give them land in Baro for that. The murder of 22 people during their early morning prayers at Epogi in Mokwa Local Government Area wouldn’t have been possible if there were a naval base in Baro.
“The presence of the Naval security outpost would have been able to tackle maritime criminals operating along waterways like sea robbery, piracy and to monitor the waterways where we’ve been experiencing attacks”.
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