How Governors Make Money From Insecurity – Bafarawa

A former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, has accused governors of cashing on the growing spate of insecurity across Nigeria to increase their security votes.

He made this known while backing a recent claim by the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, that governors have used insecurity to get more money for their private use.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the National Security and Peace Development Summit by his Foundation, Bafarawa lamented that as violent crime claims the lives of so many youth and communities, the country, on the whole, is robbed of much of its human and economic potential.

According to him: “These neighbourhoods and communities have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, lower educational attainment, low social capital, poor housing stock, and low levels of investment in public spaces.

“Inequality and relative poverty provide a fertile ground for crime; and in turn, high levels of crime and violence interfere with human, social and economic development.

“The security situation, ineffective security governance and social development arrangements undermine Nigerian’s ability to establish and maintain a viable economy that can sustain acceptable levels of wellbeing for the majority of its citizens, particularly the young and vulnerable.

“I hope that the findings and resolution of the forthcoming National Security and Peace Development Summit powered by our Foundation will contribute to ongoing efforts by both the Federal, State Governments and community groups to address the recurrent violence.

“This platform for sharing ideas and recommendations will also hopefully help bridge the gap between research and policy by making knowledge available to those charged with making change happen,” he added.