The Sokoto State Government has approved N1.759 billion for the purchase of 1,000 Bajaj motorcycles for security agencies as part of efforts to strengthen operations against banditry and improve access to difficult-to-reach areas.
The approval was given at the sixth regular meeting of the State Executive Council, chaired by Deputy Governor Idris Muhammad Gobir, with the motorcycles expected to complement other security equipment recently provided by the state government.
The Director General, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Abubakar Bawa, disclosed the council’s decisions in a statement issued to journalists in Sokoto.
The latest intervention comes shortly after the state government commissioned a major batch of security equipment, including 62 operational vehicles, 320 motorcycles and other tactical assets valued at about N27.1 billion.
The state government has said its security investments are intended to improve operational mobility, intelligence gathering and surveillance, particularly in areas facing persistent security threats.
Sokoto shares borders with Zamfara and Katsina states as well as the Republic of Niger, making some parts of the state vulnerable to cross-border movement by criminal groups.
The additional motorcycles are expected to provide security personnel with greater mobility in rural communities and locations where larger vehicles may have difficulty operating. The government has not disclosed how the 1,000 motorcycles will be distributed among the various security agencies.
Beyond security, the council approved several projects covering education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply and vocational training.
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For the education sector, N723.17 million was approved for the renovation of Government Technical College, Runjin Sambo, while N498.99 million was allocated for the rehabilitation of A.A. Raji Special School.
The College of Nursing Sciences is to receive N489.32 million for Phase I of its renovation, while N229.36 million was approved for the renovation of male and female hostels at the College of Basic and Remedial Studies.
In the agricultural sector, the council approved N174.64 million for the renovation of staff quarters and the upgrading of the perimeter fence at the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Wurno.
The government also approved N133.67 million for the construction of a perimeter fence at Wamakko Primary Health Centre.
As part of efforts to expand vocational opportunities for women, N93.88 million was approved for the purchase of learning equipment for 46 women’s vocational centres across the state’s 23 local government areas.
The council further approved N90.208 million for the purchase of PVC pipes and plumbing fittings required for the maintenance of 142 semi-urban water supply schemes across the 23 local government areas.
The latest approvals come amid the Sokoto government’s broader push to combine security interventions with investments in education, healthcare, water infrastructure and skills development.
In July, the state government said its security support was part of a sustained effort to improve the operational capacity of security agencies, while Deputy Governor Gobir urged beneficiaries of government-provided equipment to use the assets judiciously.
The latest N1.759 billion motorcycle procurement therefore adds another layer to the state’s security response, while the other approvals indicate continued spending on infrastructure and human-capital development across Sokoto.
Daily Trust
