By
Babangida Galleon
Adamawa state government has issued a warning to hoodlums and perpetrators of Sunday’s looting with a call on parents to handover their deviant wards as well as the stolen goods to security agencies or face the wrath of the law.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri gave this warning during a state wide broadcast, assuring that government will deal with anyone who aided and abated the callous act.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri had given the hoodlums until 12 midnight Tuesday, 1st August 2023 to return all items looted from the warehouses to the nearest Police Station.
The governor said at the expiration of the deadline, government will sign an Executive Order for the commencement of a house-to-house search, noting that part of the provision of the order is a sanction that will attract withdrawal of Certificate of Occupancy and if necessary, demolition of every house that habours any of the stolen property.
“We must collectively, cooperate to deal with these hoodlums who have found it convenient to break into our warehouses and loot at their own convenience.
If we don’t do this today, chances are that their next destination would be our homes and businesses”.
He called on law abiding citizens to cooperate with the security agencies to ensure that the order is enforced to the latter.
The governor said about 90 suspects caught in the act have been arrested and Investigations are still ongoing.
“In view of the fact that the situation at the moment is relatively calm, with advice from the security agencies, the 24hr curfew regime earlier imposed in the State capital is hereby reviewed to 12 hours from dusk to dawn.
We regret any inconveniences caused by the curfew regimes. This is done in the best interest of public peace and security”.
According to him, Preliminary findings suggested that besides the purported claim of economic hardship by the criminals, is the inducement by some lazy politicians in the society.
Fintiri said as a responsible Government, it is sensitive to the harsh economic realities, and measures are being put in place to cushion the effect of the hardship, adding that this has to be done in a manner that would carry every citizen across all 21 Local government areas along.
“It is our fervent wish that the palliatives reach every household in the State. While we continue to investigate and prosecute these hoodlums, I want to assure you that our planned rollout of the palliative is still on course irrespective of this major setback”.
The governor thanked the security agencies in the state for working round the clock to ensure that normalcy is returned.
