Niger State Government has reassured citizens that the curfew imposed on motorcycles and tricycles, popularly known as keke napep, is not intended to punish the law abiding citizens but is intended to prioritize safety over inconvenience.
It is also a proactive and urgent measure to address the growing insecurity that has affected parts of the state capital in recent days.
The clarification is contained in a statement issued to Newsmen in Minna by the Special Adviser to the Niger state Governor on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso.
According to the statement, Governor Mohammed Umar Bago fully understand the challenges this temporary measure may pose to hardworking Niger lites who are going about their legitimate businesses, but however, the safety of their lives and properties remains the topmost priority of this administration.
Over the past six days, we have witnessed disturbing incidents of violence, with several lives lost to attacks by miscreants operating in a manner akin to mini cult groups, these groups, made up of young boys between the ages of 13 and 22, have exploited the ease of movement provided by motorcycles and tricycles to commit crimes across various parts of Minna and evade arrest.
Aisha Wakaso explained that if these boys are not restricted, they can carry out criminal activities in one part of the town and vanish into another within minutes, because their swift mobility not only makes arrests difficult but also enables the rapid spread of their operations.
It is in a bid to disrupt these activities that the state Government imposed the curfew, even though the action will affect movement and commerce, it is therefore a necessary sacrifice to restore sanity and protect lives and properties of Niger lites and other well meaning people residing in the state.
The state Government also observed a disturbing trend among these groups where a distinct hairstyle that appears to be evolving into a form of group identity any of them wear dreadlocks in front while the back of the head is shaved, this style has increasingly become associated with members of these disruptive groups.
To this end she said security agencies have been advised to closely monitor individuals with this distinct lock, which is not a blanket criminalization of hairstyles, but a preventive measure informed by intelligence and ongoing trends, with the aim of dismantling the formation and spread of these emerging groups before they become deeply entrenched.
The statement however appealed to all citizens of Niger State to understand and support these efforts, that is not a punitive action, but a step taken to protect lives and maintain order because the lives of Niger lites are far more valuable than any short term disruption to economic activities, as if these elements are not curtailed now, they will become bolder and more dangerous.
PR ALIYU LAWAL.
