The 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna on Wednesday said the crime rate in the north had gone down by about 50 percent due to increase synergy between security agencies and the general public.
The Division’s Chief of Staff, Sanusi Dahiru, a brigadier general, made this known in Kaduna when he received participants of Senior Executive Course 40 of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS).
Mr Dahiru noted that the security threat posed by cattle rustlers, armed bandits, illegal immigrants, Boko Haram and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria reduced drastically.
“The division has been actively engaged in internal and external security through our various operational commitments like the operation MESA, operation SALAMA, operation Lafiya Dole among others.
“The Division had also carried out activities between the military and the civil populace, some of which include medical outreach, provision of boreholes to communities among others.
“We also collaborate with other security agencies where we give them training, and we are planning to have a joint operation centers with other security agencies”, he said.
He added that non kinetic approach would help in tackling security challenges in the country.
“There is need for non-kinetic approaches by involving traditional rulers in creating awareness on security and the encouragement of artisanship to keep the youth busy.”
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding, Muhammed Muhammed, a major general, expressed the belief that current security challenges in the country would be overcome through interactions with stakeholders.
“I want you to understand that the security challenges are so diverse, from cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed banditry and so on.
“Some are so endemic that requires much more than kinetic means to unravel them, so our interaction should assist us to find solutions to some of the challenges”, he said.
Meanwhile, the team leader, Celestine Bassey, had earlier stated that the aim of the study tour was to see how the military has been tackling security challenges in the country.
“As this year’s theme focuses on security management and community policing, we are here in Kaduna to see how the threat has been used to effectively manage security”, he said.
(NAN)