From Francis Nansak, Lafia
The Nasarawa state- owned security outfit has vowed to support the effort of the Nigeria Police Force in entrenching the culture of security policing in the country.
The General Manager of the Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Scheme (NAYES), Mr Abdullahi Labaran, disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, during the weekend.
It would be recalled that NAYES, an initiative of the Nasarawa State government was established in 2014 by the Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura-led government.
The outfit does the functions of vigilantes by working closely with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to provide security to residents of the state.
According to Labaran, operatives of NAYES have gone through various stages of training and retraining which was facilitated by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC).
The NAYES operatives, he stressed, “have been exposed to the intricacies of crime fighting.”
The General Manager disclosed that operatives of NAYES recently arrested 2 armed criminals, rescued over 500 cows that were stolen from Taraba state and also recovered some stolen items.
The suspects, he said, were handed over to the police for prosecution.
He revealed the NAYES operatives have received the needed training and are ready to assume the role of community police when the community policing strategy takes effect in Nasarawa State.
” NAYES operatives are experienced and have been active in crime fighting.
“The community policing initiative is a welcome development which we are looking forward to it commencement. If our service incorporated into the initiative, we will work closely with the conventional securities to combat crime and criminality in the state,” Mr Labaran stressed.
He, however, identified the dearth of equipment, operational vehicles and funding as some of the challenges facing NAYES.
He commended the Nasarawa State Governor ,Engr. Abdullahi Sule, for his promise to support and ensure the vibrancy of the NAYES.
