Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has ordered a crackdown on thugs and criminals causing unrest in Minna, the state capital. The governor announced several strict measures to stop the rising violence, which has already claimed over 10 lives this year.
During a security meeting on Tuesday at the Government House, the governor said anyone found wearing dreadlocks in Minna would be arrested, shaved, and fined.
Governor Bago declared, “We will have zero tolerance for rascality. Anybody that you find with dreadlocks, arrest, barb the hair and fine him.”
He also banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles from operating between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for medical emergencies.
The governor gave these orders after residents raised alarm over increasing attacks by street thugs. In one incident on 22 April, a group of thugs killed a bank driver named Mohammed with a pair of scissors. Mohammed was helping local vigilantes arrest thugs near his home.
Governor Bago warned parents to keep their children in check. “Parents should warn their children. From this moment, it’s 100 per cent fire-for-fire,” he said.
He also ordered the demolition of any house used by criminals or drug sellers. “Any house found harbouring criminals should be demolished. Niger State is not for useless people,” he stated.
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To strengthen the fight against crime, the governor directed traditional leaders and local heads to document all residents in their communities. Any community leader who shelters criminals will be arrested.
He also said anyone caught with weapons, including knives or sticks, will be treated as an armed robber. “If such a person is killed, their parents must pay for the bullet before releasing the corpse,” he added.
Two areas in Minna — Angwan Daji and Barki Sale — have been placed under strict security watch.
Governor Bago also announced that a special court will be set up to handle thuggery cases for quick judgment and jail sentences.
“Any vehicle coming into Minna with illicit drugs will be seized and become government property,” the governor warned.
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, backed the new actions. “We cannot fold our hands and watch criminal elements make life unbearable for our people,” he said.
A new security operation is now underway in Minna to restore peace and safety.