Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Monday directed the shut down of mobile phone commercial charging centres in at least 18 Local Government Areas of the state for security reasons.
The affected councils are Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Sabuwa, Dandume, Faskari, Funtua, Bakori, Dandume, Musawa, Matazu, Kurfi, Danja, Kafur, Maiadua, Kaita and Baure.
The Governor gave the directive while inaugurating members of monitoring and enforcement committees for the two ‘Security Challenges Containment Orders’ he signed last week.
The state Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, is the chairman of the committee at the state level while the Divisional Police Officers were chairmen of the committee in the Local Government Areas where mobile phones commercial charging centres have been directed to shut down.
Masari said the shut down of the commercial charging centres was part of measures to curb security challenges and restore peace in the state.
He believed that the charging centres were assisting the bandits and their collabrators in the exchange of vital information and in the sabotage of security efforts.
The Governor added that other measures taken by the Nigerian Communications Commission will equally help in restoring normalcy in the affected communities.
According to the Governor, the terms of reference of the committee at the state level include among others; to monitor and ensure compliance with the Compliance order and to coordinate the enforcement of the order in the Local Government Areas affected by the order.
The committee was also directed to submit periodic progress report to the state government and” to identify and bring up emerging challenges for government consideration.”
The terms of reference for the Committee at the affected local Government Areas were also similar to that of the state.
The Chairman of the committee at the state level, CP Sanusi Buba, in his response, assured that with the inauguration of the committee, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes will soon come to an end in the state.
The Police Commissioner promised that the committees would work round the clock to ensure compliance with the two executive orders.
It would be recalled that Governor Masari had last week signed what were referred to as Security Challenges Containment Orders where some security measures were announced in the state.
The Governor, in the orders, announced immediate closure of Jibia-Gurbin Baure road and that of Kankara- Sheme to commercial vehicles, until further notice.
He also directed that commercial vehicles operating in the state should be in designated colour for the state while restrictions were placed on movements of commercial motorcycles and tricycles from 10 p.m to 6a.m in the state capital, Katsina and from 6 p.m to 6a.m in frontline councils.
Sales of fuel were also restricted to N5,000 per motorists in some Local Government Areas while using of trucks/lorries were also banned for transporting firewoods from the forests.
Sales of livestock were also banned in some markets in some councils while inter state cattle transportation were also banned.
