Terrorism thrives if communities allow it — Navy chief

The Commandant, Nigerian Navy School of Armament (NNSAT) Technology Kachia, Rear Admiral Tanko Pani, said terrorism and other criminal activities thrived where communities allowed it.

Pani stated this on Monday shortly after he received an award of excellence for combating criminal activities in Southern Kaduna and environs from a group, Kachia Patriots.

According to Pani, criminals threatening the peaceful coexistence are human beings living within communities and can either be their children, relatives, friends or strangers.

He therefore called on the community members to cooperate with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies by giving credible information that would help in fishing out criminals from their hideout.

“If we cooperate with security agencies criminality will not thrive in our land,” Pani said.

He thanked the group for honouring him and promised to redouble efforts to ensure Kachia and environs were completely free from criminal activities.

Mr Yusuf Usman, Secretary of the Kachia Patriots, who read the citation during the award presentation, said Pani had made tremendous effort in combating criminality in Kachia Local Government Area and other parts of the state.

“The present danger that has enslaved all of us is the issue of crimes and criminality which are mostly presented in the form of kidnappings, daylight robbery, reprisal attacks, cattle rustling and massive displacement of people during communal clashes.”

He explained that both the government and various security agencies have been deploying strategic means and establishing security formations across the volatile zones and axis to stem the security challenges.

“Down here in Kachia Local Government Area, the story if not the same was much higher and catastrophic before the posting of Pani as the Commandant NNSAT Kachia.

“The criminals and their elements took Kachia axis hostage and compromised our daily livelihood and collective wellbeing.

“Initially, they were all acting in formations and consolidated splinter groups but with his appointment, he set his objectives, designed his strategies and defined his rules of engagement in clear terms.

“These modalities are based on mutual cooperation with Local Communities, large intelligence gathering, free access with his principal officers to report suspicious activities which are often responded with immediate and drastic actions,” he said.

He further described the commandant as a rare breed military officer in the class of the most accomplished war heroes who had refused to negotiate blood sucking criminality against innocent civilians.

The group added that Pani had degraded and dismantled the hideouts and formations of various criminal elements and making various arrests, adding that the Naval Officer was passionate about community harmony.

The Executive Chairman, Kachia Local Government ,Mr Peter Agite commended the senior officer for his efforts in combating criminals in the area and pray for God to elevate him to higher places.

He added that as the Council Chairman he would continue to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies to ensure that Kachia was made too hot for criminals.