Insecurity: FG Mulls Ban on Motorcycles, Mining

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

The federal government is looking at the possibility of banning motorcycles and mining as a way of addressing the myriad of security challenges facing the country.

Briefing newsmen Thursday at the end of the National Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said the ban was one of the resolutions arrived at during the security meeting.

According to him, one of the measures being considered to impede terrorist activities include a nationwide ban on motocycles and mining to cut off their sources of funds.

Malami, flanked by his Interior and Police Affairs counterparts, Rauf Aregbesola and Mohammed Dingyadi, respectively, said the ban is targetted at the logistics used by the terrorists. 

The minister said these include motorcycles used for movement and mining, which provides them the money to fund their arms supply. 

He stated that the federal government is now looking at ways to inhibit their actions by blocking the sources already identified.

Malami stressed that terrorists have moved from the conventional ways of funding their activities to mining and ransom taking, making it necessary for the government to act fast.

Details later…