Gov. El-Rufai restores full telecoms services in Kaduna

By EDDY OCHIGBO, Kaduna –

Consequent upon the apparent failure to achieve the needed strategic maneuvers to bring the worsening insecurity in Kaduna State under control, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has directed telecoms service providers to restore services to areas under restriction in the state with immediate effect.

Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan who made this known while briefing Journalists on security situation in the state, said residents of 7 LGAs in the state had gone 8-weeks without telecoms services, which the Government says was to help security agencies in the fight against banditry.

The sudden change might not however, be unconnected with the daily attacks and kidnapping of travellers on Abuja-Kaduna Express way in the past four days.

The kidnappers in one of the videos released after abduction of Baptist worshippers in Kakkau Daji village, outskirts of Kaduna, claimed that the telecoms restrictions had aided their operations, as residents of the area no longer have opportunities to report cases to security agencies.

But Aruwan said the restoration followed reports by security agencies that a level of success has been achieved in the fight against banditry.

“The telecoms shutdown had helped the security agencies to achieve some results, which the security forces will reel out soon,” he said.