In its bid to promote trust and social cohesion, and international Peacebuilding Organisation, Search for Common Ground, Nigeria, SFCG, has organised a novelty football match between security forces and communities in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Council, Munir Mu’azu Haidara said, Kaura Namoda is among the 14 local government areas in the State facing serious security challenges as a result of activities of bandits and other none state actors leading to serious economic crisis.
According to him, “This situation is worsened by the mutual mistrust leading to a gap between the community and security forces”.
Search for Common Ground implementing a project titled: The Nigeria-Benin Border Communities Peace Initiative Enhancing Collaboration for Peace and Security in Kebbi, Katsina, Niger, Kwara and Zamfara States otherwise known as the ECPS Project; organised a joint trust building activity that will eliminate the dividing line between the community and security agencies leading to better collaboration.
In the novelty football match at Kaura Namoda, the community squared up against the security agencies including the NSCDC, the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, DSS, Nigeria Army, Zamfara Community Protection Guards in a thrilling encounter that saw all the teams emerged winners and no losers, for the sake of peace in their community.
Earlier, the ECPS project team urged the community and security agencies to see the football match as an opportunity to collaborate with each other to make their communities safer.
The ECPS Project Manager, Remikat Ayuba, told both teams to embrace fairplay as the football match is not like any other competitive game as they were both winners.
Some players from both community and security agencies confessed that the activity has eliminated the mutual suspicion between them.
“This is the very first time we experienced this kind of football match where all teams are winners.
“The match also gave us the opportunity to interact freely with security agencies whom we are scared to approach before now”.
Football jerseys, medals and trophies were presented to both teams to sustain the initiative in the community.
