- The North Central Development Initiative (NCDI) called for the creation of a regional security network in the North-Central zone to address insecurity
- The organisation urged North-Central governors to emulate South-West and South-East security outfits, "Amotekun" and "Ebubeagu."
- The organisation also emphasised the need for transparent appointments to the newly established North-Central Development Commission (NCDC)
The North Central Development Initiative (NCDI) has called on governors in the North-Central region to establish a regional security outfit similar to the ‘Amotekun’ in the South-West and ‘Ebubeagu’ in the South-East.
The organisation emphasised the urgent need to address the escalating insecurity in the zone during a briefing on Tuesday, February 11, in Abuja by Musa Ali Otigba, the Director-General and National Coordinator of NCDI.
The statement read in part, "We want to use this opportunity also, to appeal to the governors of north central region, including the state Houses of Assembly, to urgently consider and commence the process of establishing a joint security network for the region, like the "Amotekun" in South West, "Ebubeagu" in South East, and other such outfits in the different regions of Nigeria.”
NCDI calls for regional security outfit in North Central
Otigba stressed that a regional security network was critical not only for enhancing safety but also for enabling the newly established North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to effectively carry out its development projects.
He pointed out the importance of the North-Central region having its own security body to address rising insecurity, which, in turn, would allow for the expected development under the new commission.
In addition to security concerns, Otigba reiterated the NCDI’s demand for the return of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairmanship to the North-Central region, as initially zoned in 2022.
He argued that restoring the position would help rebalance the political structure and ensure continued support for the APC in future elections.
"We also want to appeal once again to Mr President and all the leaders and stakeholders of our party, the APC, to maintain the zoning formula of 2022, by returning the position of national chairman of the party, to the north central zone, to balance the current political equation and to enable Mr President and the APC, to enjoy the full support of north central people in future elections.
"This appeal becomes very imperative at this time, as the party prepares for another national convention that will usher in a new national working committee that will pilot the affairs of the party and lead the party to the 2027 general elections."
He also called on the presidency, the Ministry of Regional Development, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that appointments to the North-Central Development Commission were made with transparency and accountability.
Otigba stressed the importance of avoiding the potential misuse of the commission for personal enrichment and promised to establish mechanisms to monitor its activities, ensuring that the region’s resources were used effectively.
"We emphasise on the credibility of the persons to be appointed so as to avoid unnecessary embezzlement of the collective resources of our people. We shall also set up machineries to monitor the processes and activities of the commission to ensure that the right things are done at all time so that our people can enjoy the full benefits that the commission presents," the statement added.
Kano State Assembly passes bill to establish state-run security outfit
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Kano State Assembly passed a bill to create a state security outfit with full operational powers to protect the state.
According to the report, the security personnel will be armed, authorised to arrest offenders and work to prevent crime across Kano.