Gov. Umaru Bago has called for more police personnel and hardware support to aid in curtailing insecurity in Niger.

Mr Bago made the call when he received the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 7, Benneth Igweh, on a familiarization visit to Minna on Thursday. 

The governor said Niger needed more personnel to help in addressing the security challenges facing the state.

He said that his administration was working in collaboration with security agencies to neutralise all terrorists who have infiltrated the state.

Mr Bago explained that the government was also undertaking a non-kinetic approach towards addressing the insecurity bedevilling the State.

He noted that Niger, with the largest land mass in the country, has many ungoverned spaces, creating opportunities for banditry and other criminal activities.

The governor stressed the urgent need to secure the ungoverned spaces to allow farmers to return to their farms.

Mr Bago, while applauding the police commissioner, Niger state command, CP Shawulu Dan-Mamman, for his commitment and dedication, said that his administration was poised to work with all security agencies in the state to curb crimes.

In his remarks, Mr Igweh said he was at the Government House Minna on a courtesy visit to the governor and to intimate him about police commitment towards addressing security challenges in the state.

He revealed that he was in Niger state as an extension of his policing movement within Zone 7 and also part of his duty tour to study the terrain in the state.

According to Mr Igweh, the aim of the duty tour is to map out the zone into sectors and mop up all black spots to ensure it is free from crimes.

Mr Igweh, while speaking to journalists on the rising cases of phone theft in the state, said that the police have the mechanism to track any stolen phone

He, therefore, called on residents whose phones were stolen to report to the nearest police station and provide details of the phone for tracking.

(NAN)