The Kano State chapter of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has pledged to donate equipment worth ₦1 million to the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Kano State Command, to strengthen its security operations in the state.
The pledge was made by the ACF Chairman in Kano State, Dr. Goni Faruk Umar, while receiving members of the CJTF during a courtesy visit to the forum’s secretariat in Kano.
Dr. Umar said the donation formed part of ACF’s commitment to supporting community-based security initiatives and assured the CJTF of a sustainable partnership. He also promised to mobilise additional support for the group from friends and well-wishers.
The ACF chairman charged the CJTF leadership to organise quarterly briefing sessions to keep the forum updated on its activities and developments. He further directed that a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on security collaboration be developed between the two organisations.
Dr. Umar cautioned members of the public against the indiscriminate sharing of unverified security information on social media, noting that such actions often create panic without providing solutions. He also advised small business owners to take advantage of the interest-free loan scheme being offered by ACF.
Speaking at the meeting, ACF Legal Adviser and Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kano State chapter, Hajiya Salma Danbappa, encouraged interested CJTF members to further their education in legal studies and nursing.
She also offered, on behalf of FIDA, to collaborate with ACF in organising two training sessions for CJTF members on alternative dispute resolution and child protection.
Earlier, the Secretary of the CJTF, Kano State Command, Shamsuddeen Idris Mu’azu, said the visit was aimed at seeking partnership with ACF on security and peacebuilding efforts.
He explained that the CJTF was established in response to security challenges in Northern Nigeria, initially focusing on intelligence gathering and support to conventional security agencies.
In Kano State, he said, the group was formed as a proactive measure and had engaged with the Department of State Services (DSS), State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and the Directorate of Special Services ahead of its formal take-off.
Mu’azu added that the CJTF has operational structures across the three tiers of government and has been involved in sensitisation campaigns, vocational training, community engagement, intelligence gathering and collaboration with security agencies, including providing tips on security threats and illicit substance activities.
He, however, lamented the lack of operational vehicles for intelligence gathering in the state and appealed to Dr. Umar to accept to serve as the patron of the CJTF in Kano State.