Special Adviser on Security and Internal Affairs to the Benue State Governor, Chief Joseph Har has stated that 10,000 youths would be trained on the prevention of fire extinguisher related crimes, and would be employed by the state government
He noted that fire extinguishers pose a big threat to criminality because the product is used as Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), to hide small and light weapons, ammunition and also used as instruments to ferry drugs by criminals.
The Special Adviser disclosed this when he met with a delegation from the Bureau for Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, in his office in Makurdi over the weekend.
Har stated that the youths will be trained on how to identify genuine fire extinguishers, using android phones to scan, and also use stickers to identify genuine fire extinguishers.
He said, “In collaboration with the DG, Bureau for Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, Mrs Benita Shuluwa, we had a meeting with representative of a consultancy company who are into fire Extinguisher sticker solution to train ad-hoc staff to enforce the use of extinguisher positively so as to ensure that genuine fire extinguishers are used.
“Some vendors fill fire extinguishers with cassava. So instead of extinguishing the fire, the cassava flour fuels the fire. So, with this sticker and Android phones, you can scan the extinguishers to ensure that it is genuine. If an extinguisher that is registered is found at a crime scene, it will be traced to the owner.
“For instance, extinguishers are used to traffic drugs and also conceal ammunition, small and light weapons. They use it too as Improvised Explosives Devices, IED. This is what we plan to do in partnership with the Ministry of Interior as well as the Federal and State Fire Services. Benue is used to stage this pilot project in the country.
“The benefits are that it will prevent crime, empower youths and boost internally generated revenue. About 10,000 youths are going to start in the first phase. It is going to put many youths off the unemployment market.
“It is the concept of the State Governor and now that it is coming from the Federal Government, we are jumping at the opportunity”, Har stated.
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