Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of the central Nigerian state of Kwara has promised to initiate empowerment programmes to check youth restiveness.

The governor made the pledge on Tuesday when he received community leaders from Ilorin Emirate in his office.

The community leaders had visited the governor to commiserate with him over weekend’s violence by some hoodlums who attacked NDLEA operatives in Ilorin.

The governor said the empowerment schemes would be designed in such a way as to the transform the youths into responsible citizens.

He further promised that his administration would set up an enlightenment committee on how to end acts of hooliganism in the state.

Ahmed reiterated his administration’s zero tolerance for acts bordering on criminality.

“We will ensure that criminality is not given any room in the state. If anybody under any guise is found wanting, he will be brought to book,’’ he said.

He warned those with criminal tendencies to realise that the campaigns and elections were over while purposeful governance was now in place.

Earlier, the spokesman of the delegation and Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Salihu Muhammed, had said the visit was to condemn the fracas that reportedly claimed two lives.

Muhammed, who called for severe punishment for the perpetrators of the violence, urged government to put in place measures that would avert a recurrence.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fracas, which broke out in some parts of Ilorin metropolis between NDLEA operatives and street urchins, led to destruction of properties and the reported death of two persons. (NAN)