Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has declared 48 children missing in a wave of child-stealing in the state.
He said this during the inauguration of Ramadan palliatives distribution exercise, on Friday in Gombe.
Yahaya, who did not disclose the period the children had been stolen, said he was unsure of their safe return.
He said some elements criticised security measures adopted by the state government in spite of its imperative for public good and safety.
The governor highlighted that security is a collective responsibility of all, hence the need for the people to support the government towards addressing acts capable of breaching peace and security in the state.
“From the available records, 48 Gombe State children between the ages of two and five have been stolen from the state to other parts of the world.
“Their parents are here within the state; for the children, we don’t know if they would be found or not.
“With the relaxation of the motorcycle ban, a boy was stolen at Orji Estate but thankfully he was rescued.
“We must take serious measures to tackle these emerging threats and restore peace in the state.
“Before now, Nigerians were living in peace, why was it so?
“What is now missing and what are we supposed to do? We need to evaluate things today and do what we ought to do, no matter how tough,” he asked.
Yahaya stressed that more work needs to be done collectively to ensure peace and stability in the state.
He recounted how some person’s affected by the ban on metal scrap dealings approached religious leaders to lobby against the ban, claiming it was their source of livelihoods.
The governor said the measure aims to improve security, restore peace and tackle frequent motorcycle theft and other crimes.
Yahaya lamented the indiscriminate vandalism of critical infrastructure and installations, including rail track and other valuable assets.
He said the newly built N26 billion Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park has not been spared by suspected vandals.
The governor said electrical installations meant to distribute power from Dadin Kowa Dam to the park had been touched and some equipment carted away.
On palliative, Yahaya said the exercise targeted 70,000 beneficiaries across the state.
He said the exercise focused on the physically challenged, religious organisations, orphanages, party support groups, and other vulnerable members of the community.
Yahaya urged the Palliative Distribution Committee to ensure transparency, accountability and fairness in the exercise.
“The items must be distributed within the next three days, including rice, macaroni, spaghetti, oil, sugar, among other items.”
