The Police in Niger say they have arrested and charged to court 30 hoodlums who have been terrorising innocent residents of Minna, the state capital.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Dibal Yakadi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Minna.
Yakadi said that all the suspects had been charged to Magistrate courts for unlawful possession of dangerous weapons and conduct likely to cause breach of peace and disorderly manner.
He assured that the command would not fold its arms and allow miscreants to take the law into their hands.
He said investigations revealed that the hoodlums were responsible for most of the crimes committed at the popular Obasanjo Complex in the city.
The commissioner said all the suspects had been reminded in prison custody, assuring that the police would follow their cases to ensure diligent prosecutions.
He appealed to parents to monitor the conduct of their children and wards, adding that anyone found committing crime would be decisively deal with.
Meanwhile, residents of the state capital have commended the efforts of the police over the ongoing crackdown on hoodlums in the city.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police have identified hot spots where criminal operate and had promptly introduced foot patrol and motorised patrol to check their activities in such areas.
Alhaji Abdullahi Haruna of Chanchaga said that the steps taken so far by the police would restore sanity and enhance peaceful coexistence among residents of the city.
He said that the introduction of police patrol had led to the arrest of the hoodlums, who daily terrorised innocent residents, especially women going to the market.
According to Haruna, it got to a stage where husbands were escorting their wives to market for fear of being attacked by miscreants.
Malam Bashir Ishaku of old Airport, commended the efforts of the police, saying the operation would enhance peace in the area.
“For about three days now, there is no report of bag and phones snatching at old airport and Obasanjo Shopping Complex which hitherto was a daily occurrence.
“Our wives were threatened by these miscreants on daily basis, but thanks to the police for steps taken to check the activities of the miscreants.
Alhaji Ahmed Isa, who resides at Dutsen Kura, commended the renewed vigour of the police to tackle criminals in the state.
“It is a positive development that should be sustained. Few days back, there was an attack in our area and within few minutes policemen arrived at the scene,’’Isa said.
He advised the police to provide vital telephone numbers including those of Divisional Police Officers, so that residents could notify them in case of emergencies for prompt response.
Malam Bashir Ibrahim of Bosso area called for regular police patrols to combat criminals who had turned primary schools and other public buildings into Indian hemp smoking joints and planning grounds for criminality.
“I am of the view that the command should deploy security personnel to all public buildings, especially primary and secondary schools in the city,” Ibrahim said.
He also called for synergy between the police, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders, in order to successfully execute the war against crimes and criminality.
According to him, there is need to mobilise residents to volunteer vital information about movement of criminals to enable the police to map out more security measures to contain criminals.
Mr Ahmed Musa, a resident of Ahmadu Bello way, advised the State Government to assist the police with more patrol vehicles and motorcycles for effective response to any security breach.
Bello Abubakar a student of the Federal University of Technology Minna, commended the efforts of the police command at providing security to lives and property in the city.
Abubakar said that this was the first time in Minna that residents celebrated Christmas without any security threats to lives and property.
He advised that the current security measures be sustained, adding that the presence of security operatives in the area would restore peaceful coexistence among the residents. (NAN)