Kano State Government will provide facilities worth N318 million, as support to the Nigerian Army, for the establishment of a multi-million Naira training centre at Falgore Forest in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of the state.

The support is part of the efforts of the state government towards making the forest and surrounding areas free from negative activities, particularly organised crime in the form of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and insurgency.

The state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who announced this in a speech during the closing of the 1 Division Nigerian Army Inter Brigade Corporal and Below Competition, said: “The military presence in the forest will deter criminals.

We shall lay the foundation of this important project soon and it will be a milestone in addressing security challenges”.

Ganduje further stated that his administration would soon unfold an articulated blueprint on community policing, aimed at ensuring that everybody is involved in matters of security, surveillance and peaceful co-existence.

He said: “We have started efforts in this direction to engaging community leaders, Imams and other stakeholders towards ensuring security. We held a stakeholders meeting at Karaye and very soon we shall have another one at Rano Emirate.

“We intend to meet stakeholders at Tudun Wada local government, near Falgore forest, because of the potential security risk within the area.”

The governor called on the people of the state to uphold security as a major concern, adding that “issues of security are very important and we want to make sure that everybody is involved in ensuring that lives and property are fully protected.”

Turning to the army sports competition, Ganduje noted: “It has shown that the army is amenable to training so as to address emerging security challenges in the country.”

He noted that the competition was a major step towards maintaining confidence and espirit-de-corps among officers and men of the Nigerian Army.

Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. F. Yusuf, stated that the competition was aimed at improving combat skills, team work, leadership skills and general resilience among other things.

“The Nigerian Army will continue to pay attention to regular training towards keeping the Army fit in discharging its constitutional roles”, he emphasised.

Yusuf used the occasion to express appreciation to Kano State government for constructing 30 family residential blocks at Bukavu Barracks and for the provision of sundry infrastructure and assistance to the Nigerian Army, hoping the spirit would remain alive.

Soldiers from 3 Brigade, 1 Division Garrison and 31 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army competed in drills, combat swimming, map reading, weapon handling and obstacle crossing, with 3 Brigade emerging the overall winner. (New Telegraph)

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