The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has urged state governors to invest in sports so as to checkmate criminal activities among the youth in the country.
Dalung made the appeal at the opening of the 8th Air Force Games on Monday in Katsina.
He said that sports would assist the youth to distance themselves from crimes such as kidnapping, militancy and armed robbery.
The minister said that if 50 per cent of security votes were invested in sports, it would help to reduce crimes to the barest minimum.
The minster commended the military and para-military organisations for promoting sports, saying that at the end of the NAF Games, talented athletes would be discovered who could represent the country in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan.
He directed the organisers of the Games to ensure that rules and regulations of the sports were strictly followed during the competitions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as part of the opening ceremony, a football match was organised between Kaduna Tactical Command and Mobility Command of Yenagoa.
The match was played for only 45 minutes and it ended in 1-1 draw.
The Yenagoa team scored their lone goal in the 27th minute of the match, while the Kaduna Command equalised in the 37th minute. (NAN)