GOC Set rewards for useful information to unravel criminals
By Tongnaan Bawa, Jos
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Nigeria Army and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN, Major Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, has disclosed that rewards have been placed for individuals with useful information to unravel criminals.
The Special Task Force commander made the declaration at a one day peace summit organized by the correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Plateau state Council, in collaboration with Operation SAFE HAVEN, held in Barkin-Ladi LGA, on Thursday.
He said the Nigerian Army has been were chasing criminal elements involved in various attacks in Plateau communities, particularly in Barkin-Ladi, Bokkos, and Mangu local government areas.
“We recently released a list of wanted persons involved in attacks in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State, with cash rewards for any useful information leading to their capture. We must collectively rid our communities of actions that threaten food security.”
Major Gen. Abubakar represented by Colonel U. S Abdulsalam admits that the summit is apt and timely as Nigeria continued experiencing food shortage.
“I am confident that this summit will yield the desired outcome of ensuring food security in our various communities. Let me use this medium to highlight that Operation Safe Haven has continued to employ robust non-kinetic strategies towards ensuring food security in Plateau State and the nation in general.
“We have brought critical stakeholders from across Plateau, Kaduna, and Bauchi States together to dialogue and develop modalities for a secure and peaceful farming system,” he mentioned.
On his part, guest speaker of the summit, Rev. Father Stephen Akpe opined that the age long disrespect human beings accorded to food and environment are some of the factors responsible for excruciating hunger been witnessing in the country.
The cleric who is a mediator and conflict resolution expert charged government at all levels and community leaders to develop a policy to protect food noting that ” hunger doesn’t know religion or tribe.”
Chairman Correspondents’ chapel, NUJ Plateau state Council, Polycarp Auta acknowledged that the summit aims at complementing the efforts of Plateau state government and security agents towards peaceful coexistence and food security.
“This summit is part of our modest contribution toward the peace efforts of the state government and the security agencies, particularly the Operation Safe Heaven.
“Beyond reporting security issues, we felt the need to bring young people of different tribes and religions, from troubled communities in Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Jos South LGAs to fashion out best ways toward peaceful coexistence.
“As the farming season set in, and Plateau being an agric hub, we also wish to use this medium to remind ourselves of the looming food insecurity in the country and the desire to develop a collective approach that will allow farmers cultivate enough food to feed the state and the nation in general. This, therefore, informs the choice of the topic for this summit.”
Our correspondent reports that the peace summit titled “Promoting inter-ethnic and interreligious dialogue: towards ensuring food security in Plateau state, drew participants mostly youths from 5 local government areas; Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Bokkos, Jos South and Riyom respectively.
Highlights of the occasion were paper presentation, interactive session and the need for cordial relationships for development to take a centre stage seems to be the order of the day.
