By Mohammed Suleiman, Dutse
Concerned over the rising tide of kidnapping and banditry activities in the northwest and other parts of the country, the emir of Dutse in Jigawa state, Hamim Nuhu Muhammad Sanusi has appealed to the Ministry of Defence to as a matter of national urgency establish an Airforce Base in the state.
He made the plea while speaking at the groundbreaking and foundation laying ceremony of the1500 Housing units embarked upon by the state government, attended by the Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar in Dutse over the weekend.
The monarch believed that the proposed Airforce Base, if approve, and establish could either be located in Dutse the state capital or Hadejia in the northeast zone, which could complement the success being recorded by the troops of the ground army in routing out kidnappers and other bandits from the criminal hideouts.
Recalled that the recent establishment of the 26 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army during the administration of Badaru as the governor of the state had gone a long way in bringing the activities of criminal elements to all time low in the state, but appealed to the minister to continue to give the Brigade all the necessary logistical support to enable the officers and men of the brigade to carry out their duties.
Sanusi noted that though Jigawa state is one of the states in the northwest and serves as a major entry and exit routes into some northeast states, the state had remained largely free from the activities due to the focused leaderships of the previous and current administrations of the state, and appealed that tempo should continue.
The minister of defence,who acknowledged the peaceful nature of the Jigawa, appealed to the citizens of the state to continue to as usual pray for the peace, unity and stability of the country, assuring that the security agencies were primed to do their best towards the citizens of the country.
The immediate past governor told the gathering that the recent security index report indicated that Jigawa state remains the top most position as the most peaceful state in the country attributing it to the cooperation and prayers of the people.
