Amid escalating insecurity, Nigeria has mobilized civilian volunteers to counter the threat posed by Boko Haram terrorists and bandits, Governor Dauda Lawan of the northwestern Zamfara state, revealed on Wednesday.
The official said that thousands of youths have readily enlisted to take part in the fight against these adversaries. A total of 4,200 young volunteers have been enlisted to serve in the newly established Community Protection Guards (CPG), a civilian force sanctioned by the state to fight terrorists and bandits.
"The guards comprise youth volunteers from all localities and they are to support the security agencies confronting terrorists, bandits and criminal elements," Lawan said at the CPG launch in Zamfara State capital Gusau.
The governor stressed that the rise in insecurity had prompted the implementation of civilian participation in the counter-terrorism and anti-banditry campaign. He assured that the government would take responsibility for training, equipping and paying the civilian guards.
Speaking at the launch of the CPG, General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, a former Chief of Nigerian Military Intelligence and ex-National Security Adviser, expressed the need for civilian participation in addressing the country's vast security challenges. General Gusau stressed the indispensable role of civilian involvement in combating the prevailing security threats.
The northwest region of Nigeria has witnessed a surge in security hazards, including terror assaults, bandit incursions, and kidnappings for ransom over the past two years. In early January, a community in Zamfara State was the victim of a fatal bandit attack, resulted in the loss of at least six lives. This attack occurred within a few months of a prior incident where dozens of residents in the region were killed by terrorists.
According to media reports, Nigeria's northwest region has suffered over 10,000 casualties, both civilians and security personnel, due to terrorist attacks and kidnappings since 2022.