Boko Haram: Arewa Community in Delta Vows to Expose Criminals

Against the backdrop of the angst generated by the activities of Boko Haram, Arewa community in Delta State has promised to expose any questionable elements that might have found their way into the community, assuring that they would cooperate with
the state government to flush out criminals from the state.

MEMBERS of the Delta State Arewa Traditional Council gave the assurance when they played host to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Non-Indigene Relations (North), Alhaji Auwalu Tukur, at the residence of the Onu of Igala-Warri in Warri South Local Government Area, friday.

Apparently responding to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's determination to weed out people of questionable character from the state, especially in the light of the recent influx of people from parts of Northern NIGERIA, the council pledged its full support.

Uduaghan had expressed worry that Northerners had been regularly finding their way in droves into the Warri axis and other parts of the state following intensified activities of Boko Haram insurgents in northern NIGERIA.

However, the chairman of the council, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Gero II (Sarki Hausawa of Asaba), expressed appreciation for the hospitable attitude of their host communities in the state towards the Arewa people.

He noted that the 'Arewas' have continued to enjoy peace in their respective host communities, pledging the determination of the Community to do everything within its power "to sustain the harmonious relations with their hosts in the state."

However, the governor's Special Assistant on Non-Indigenes (North), Tukur, commended MEMBERS of the Arewa community in Delta State for generally conducting themselves within the confines of the law and for living in peace with their respective host communities.

While charging his people to continue to support the Uduaghan government, Tukur advised the Arewa people in the state to resist any attempt by anybody among them to use them as instruments of destabilisation or to breach the law and order in the state.

He urged them to pray for peace and progress of the state and the Nigeria at large especially as the Muslim community in Nigeria JOIN the rest of the world to observe Eid-El-Kabir celebration.

Meanwhile, the state police has assured of its preparedness to ensure a peaceful celebration of the Muslim festival of Eid-El-Kabir in the State, but advised law abiding citizens to be vigilant and to report suspicious activities to the appropriate security agencies.

"The Delta State Police Command wishes to assure MEMBERS of the public that adequate security measures have been put in place for peaceful Eid-El-Kabir celebration", the statement signed by the command's spokeswoman, DSP Celestina Kalu, said.

Nevertheless, the police advised the citizens to remain vigilant and "to promptly report any suspicious movement and criminal elements to the police and other security agencies", even as it warned criminals of police's readiness to hunt them down and bring them to justice.