Insecurity: FG mulls nationwide ban on motorcycles, mining

The Federal Government has said it is considering a nationwide ban on motorcycles and mining activities in the country as part of its strategy to curb insecurity.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made the disclosure on Thursday while speaking to State House correspondents after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Malami said investigations were ongoing to establish the correlation between mining and motorcycles which they suspect provide terrorists money to fund their arms supply.

The AGF stated that the Federal Government was now looking at ways to stop the terrorists’ actions by blocking the sources already identified, adding that the gunmen had moved from the conventional ways of funding their activities to mining and ransom taking.

He said: “The issues deliberated border on one, the logistics being used by the terrorists, Boko Haram, and bandits among others in the act of executing their unfortunate act of terrorism and terrorising the country.

“It was extensively deliberated upon as to what needs to be done for the purpose of ensuring that their means of logistics are indeed adequately considered and necessary steps are taken in degrading their capacity to move around.

“So, discussions were carried out, deliberations made and sizeable resolutions in that direction were equally developed.

“The government would look into that possibility with particular regard to restriction on use and distribution of motorcycles, which is the most conventional logistical means being deployed by terrorists.

“Again, issues of funding of the terrorism and the terrorism acts were discussed and deliberated upon and considered. As you rightly know, recently the government under the leadership of President Buhari had indeed, passed, assented to certain bills inclusive of the money laundering, prevention, and prohibition act among others.

“A resolution was equally developed on the need to address frontally, attack and ensure at the end of the day that other considerations being put in place by terrorists in terms of funding their activities are equally addressed.

“With that in mind, the government is looking at what measures to take in terms of addressing, bridging and blocking associated sources of funding, including payment for ransom and, indeed, the mining activities and the possibility or otherwise of suspending for the time being, mining activities, are being considered as well, by the government,” Malami stated.

Also speaking to newsmen, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who spoke on the attack on Kuje Prison, said despite the extensive intelligence gathered before the onslaught, the attacks succeeded due to the absence of will to act on it.

Aregbesola further revealed that President Buhari had received a report on the preliminary investigation of the Kuje attack, noting that officers who have been found to renege on their responsibilities would be punished.

The Star