By Godwin Tyonongu
Blueprint Newspaper has been commended for playing “a critical and vital role in the reportage of security matters” across the country, “especially in the wake of lingering insurgency in the North-east.”
A statement issued by its chairman, Alhaji Adamu Taminu, the United Hunters Society (UHS), covering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa state, applauded the “consistent coverage” of their activities by Blueprint, noting that the grassroots segment of the society had indeed been provided with “a veritable platform” to air their views on issues of national concern.
He said: “We commend all the journalists in the country, especially as they lay their lives in reporting a sensitive sector as security; but most importantly, they have not given up in trying times even in the face of the insurgency particularly in the North-east. I think by our assessment, Blueprint stands out as a consistent newspaper in covering issues concerning our efforts in the fight against insecurity in the country. We appreciate them.”
The statement added that over the years, the hunters had evolved from merely hunting for animals in the bush to “complementing the efforts of the police and other security agencies in fighting crime in the communities.”
“Our boys are usually vigorously trained by security experts; whenever they are hired to serve as guards, their output is outstanding. Apart from being on ground in the hinterlands, we also provide intelligence information to the police.
“Whenever we hear about criminality, we normally rush there to investigate and if it is true, we get the police notified.
That is why we don’t advertise for people to come and hire our men; it is based on their performance that those who used them are recommending others to hire their services. We advise that any community without a vigilance group should try and have one in order to assist the government in its fight against crime and criminality.”
On the ember months, he implored residents to remain vigilant in their neighbourhoods, and to ensure that strange characters were monitored to safeguard against any act of criminality during the period.
He warned the youths serving under the society to always protect the image of the organisation by being law-abiding wherever they were posted.
