The Gombe State Expanded Security Council has approved a new framework requiring landlords to properly identify and document tenants before renting out properties, as part of measures to curb insecurity in the state.
Briefing journalists after the council’s meeting in Gombe, north east Nigeria, which was presided over by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Zubairu Mohammad Umar, said the poor identification of people relocating to the state as tenants had become a major security risk.
According to him, the absence of reliable records on residents made it difficult for security agencies to trace criminal activities, hence the decision to introduce compulsory documentation for tenants across the state.
Mr Umar also announced an immediate ban on the activities of second-hand dealers, popularly known as ‘Bola-Jari‘, pending the proper organisation of their operations under a recognised leadership.
He explained that the ban followed the discovery that those engaged in the business lacked a formal union or identifiable leadership, making their activities difficult to regulate, adding that the dealers would only be allowed to resume operations after forming an organised association with a clear leadership structure.
The commissioner added that the state government would provide a designated yard for their activities once they were properly organised, warning that anyone found violating the ban would be arrested and prosecuted.
He said security agencies had been directed to ensure strict compliance.
On the recurring issue of farmer-herder conflicts, the Commissioner for Justice revealed that the government had constituted an enforcement committee to implement the recommendations contained in the White Paper on Grazing Reserves and Cattle Routes.
The White Paper followed the report of an earlier committee chaired by a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Zubairu Mu’azu (rtd), which reviewed the status of grazing reserves and cattle routes across the state.
“The enforcement committee will ensure that every inch of gazetted grazing reserves and cattle routes encroached upon is fully reclaimed,” Mr Umar said.
He stressed that the measures were designed to promote peaceful coexistence, strengthen internal security and enhance grassroots-level intelligence gathering.
Also speaking, the Emir of Yamattu, His Royal Highness Abubakar Aliyu, said maintaining security should not be left to the government alone.
He explained that the council had resolved to involve hunters and vigilante groups in security efforts, stressing that such auxiliary security groups would operate under police supervision to guarantee professionalism and respect for the rule of law.