As the country continues to grapple with security challenges, particularly in the North, the Hunters Association of Nigeria (HAN), has expressed readiness to join forces with other mainstream security agencies in the country, to help cut insecurity to size.
The expression was made by the National Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Muhammadu Usman Baba Tola in Bauchi at the inauguration of new executives of the association.
He said that the country lately has been bedevilled by various forms of insecurity ranging from kidnappings, armed robbery, banditry, killings amongst others stressing that a peaceful and working Nigeria remains the priority of every hunter in the country, adding that the members are ready to confront bandits and insurgents in their dens.
The Chairman also said that as hunters, they are conversant with the terrain of Nigeria’s forests where bandits and insurgents hide their victims pointing out that a lot of success could be achieved if hunters and security agents could come together for a common purpose.
“We have converged in Bauchi from all parts of Nigeria today to reassess issues of national concerns as well as to determine how best we can come in and help in addressing these issues for the betterment of our country. Hunters know Nigerian forest and mountains, they can adequately help in that direction,” he said at the event.
He said that consulting with the government, traditional rulers and security agencies have been part of their method of operation, stressing that they are ready to listen to relevant security stakeholders in the country with the view to defeat insecurity in Nigeria.
He further said that the Hunters Association of Nigeria will always strive for a secured and peaceful Nigeria, but lamented the group's lack of mobility as a bottleneck.
He then called on government and public-spirited individuals to come to their aide to empower them to play their security complimentary role, saying that their contributions at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast are a testimony to what they can bring to Nigeria’s effort towards achieving national security.
“We don’t have mobility vehicles and that is affecting our response to distress calls. We cannot do well as desired so long as movement is a problem. I am appealing to government and philanthropists to provide us with cars to ease our transportation challenge” the Chairman said.
Meanwhile, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State who was represented by his Principal Private Secretary (PPS), Sama’ila Burga at the event, expressed satisfaction with the contributions of hunters towards ensuring security in Bauchi State in collaboration with government security personnel, promising to continue supporting activities of hunters for the overall benefits of citizens of the state.