By Adenike Lawal
In a sweeping move to tackle rising insecurity, Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has ordered an immediate ban on commercial motorcycles and tricycles from operating in Minna between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The decision, announced during a high-level security meeting at the Government House, follows a surge in criminal activities linked to night movements across the capital city.
Present at the briefing were security chiefs, traditional leaders including the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruk Bahago, and Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba.
Governor Bago described the ban as a necessary but temporary measure, aimed at reclaiming Minna’s streets from criminal elements.
“I will not sit back and watch as criminals take over our streets,” he declared. “This administration will confront them head-on and restore peace to our communities.”
While the curfew will be strictly enforced, exceptions will be made for medical emergencies.
Security forces have been directed to intensify raids on known hideouts, destroy drug hubs, and dismantle the strongholds of miscreants.
Bago also placed responsibility on community heads, ordering them to document all residents within their wards.
He warned that any property found to be sheltering criminals or aiding illegal drug activities will be demolished.
The governor issued a stern warning to parents, urging them to rein in their children and reject youth involvement in cultism, violence, or disruptive behavior.
“This is a zero tolerance government. If you are part of the problem, the law will catch up with you,” he warned.
He called for united action, saying, “Security is not just the job of the government or the police. It is a shared duty.”
This bold directive signals a tough, people-centered approach in Governor Bago’s war against crime, and a firm resolve to restore calm and order in the state capital.
