Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has reiterated that the ban on sale and consumption of alcohol through an Act enacted by the State House of Assembly is still operational in the state.
As a result, the Governor announced further enforcement of the ban and accused serving and dismissed military, police and other security agents of playing roles that are influencing civilians towards promoting criminalities.
Zulum identified such criminal acts to include armed robbery, drug abuse, gangsterism, cultism and other social vices which he blamed for heightening terrorism in the State.
The governor stated this on Wednesday while inaugurating the reconstituted committee on “revocation of illegal hotels, brothels, shanties, and criminal hideouts and curbing the menace of antisocial vices” at the Council Chambers of the Government House in Maiduguri.
He said, “I am happy to know that army officers are here, especially the military, police, and others are here, because most of these activities were committed by whom? Some of them are dismissed army officers, dismissed security officers, current army officers, men and officers, including civilians.
“So, there should be no sacred cow in this matter if we want the Maiduguri metropolis, and indeed the state, to get rid of insurgency, terrorism and other sorts of criminalities.
“Ban on sale of liquor in Maiduguri is still effective, and there is an Act on this effect by the State House of Assembly.”
Zulum further noted that prostitution and gangsterism were daily on the increase, lamenting that someone was recently killed behind the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) even as he said political thuggery has to be curtailed.
He added that, “Some of the years we had insurgency was as a result of these criminalities. Borno was one of the peaceful States in Nigeria, but we allowed the State capital, Maiduguri to be taken over by criminals.
“We shall never get it done with insurgency without dealing with these criminalities. We shall do everything possible to contain the situation to the barest minimum,” he assured.
He urged the military to be very careful, warning that criminalities promote insurgency.
Governor Zulum thereby reconstituted and re-empowered the committee to purge the state of all forms of criminality and anti-social vices in Maiduguri metropolis and surroundings.
The governor also co-opted the military, police, civil defence, and many other security agencies, including the civilian JTF to join the committee which included the Ministry of Justice, for a holistic approach and possible prosecution of offenders.