Residents of Millennium City in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State are strengthening community-based security initiatives to confront persistent insecurity in the area.

Chairman of the Millennium City Security, Development and Enhancement Forum, Abu Mohammed made this known in an interview in Kaduna.

Mr Mohammed said residents had continued to take steps and ensure engagement with security agencies on measures to improve safety.

Mr Mohammed said they identified poor roads as one of the major security challenges affecting operations and emergency response in the area.

According to him, the completion of the Eastern Bypass and the bridge project remains a major priority, as it would enable security personnel to respond more quickly to distress calls.

Mr Mohammed also called for the deployment of additional police and military personnel, as well as sophisticated security equipment to strengthen security operations in Millennium City.

Some residents who spoke with journalists said the initiatives deployed include increased neighbourhood vigilance and information sharing.

They said that they needed strengthened collaboration with security agencies and the involvement of vigilantes in protecting the community.

They said the measures were critical following attacks in parts of Millennium City and environs.

They said that in one of the attacks in August on the Kyauta community, a vigilante, Mustapha Baba, was killed while a woman and her son were abducted.

The incident, according to residents, has reinforced the need for communities to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies through local intelligence and vigilance.

One of the residents, Abdulganiu Usman, said the community had learnt that residents can play an important role in preventing attacks by maintaining vigilance and sharing information.

“As soon as it is 10:00 p.m., residents, especially men, come out on patrol. We have a timetable for community volunteers, who take turns conducting the patrols.

“We also have community warning alarms, which we activate whenever we notice anything suspicious,” Mr Usman said.

Another resident, Haruna Muhammad, said residents were paying greater attention to security around their homes and neighbourhoods, particularly at night.

“Whenever we see someone we are not familiar with, we report the person to the vigilante in the area so that the person can be properly monitored,” Mr Muhammad said.

According to Ibrahim Mua’zu, many parts of the area have bad road networks, so even alerting security agencies when attacks are taking place is a major challenge.

“Also, lack of streetlights in some communities provides cover for criminals to carry out their criminal activities,” Mr Mua’zu said.

The residents said the community initiatives were not intended to replace formal security agencies but to provide local intelligence and support for faster response to threats.

The residents expressed hope that sustained collaboration between residents, traditional and community leaders and security agencies would help to prevent attacks and make Millennium City safer.

(NAN)