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Worried by the increased insecurity in Nasarawa State, the state Governor, Abdullahi Sule at the weekend decried the upsurge of insecurity and unabated killings in parts of the State.
Accordingly. the governor has convened an emergency security meeting to tackle the resurgence of attacks and kidnapping in parts of the state.
The meeting was held at the instance of the governor with all security chiefs, Commissioners, traditional rulers, Fulani leaders and other stakeholders at the Government House Lafia.
The governor in opening remarks decried the resurgence of killings especially in Kokona, Karu and Toto Local Government Areas of the state, even as he lamented that the security challenges culminated in loss of lives.
He explained that, the expanded security meeting, which has also in attendance national and local Fulani leaders was aimed at affording the security architecture in the state the opportunity to go back to the drawing board in order to proffer strategies to address the prevailing security challenges in the state.
Gov Sule used the opportunity of the meeting to condole with families of the victims of the recent crisis in Tatara, Gitata and Takalafiya, as well as in Toto and Karu Local Government Areas.
Heads of security agents and other stakeholders at the emergency meeting He particularly condemned the escalation of kidnapping activities in the state, especially along the Gudi-Garaku road, where only recently a former deputy governor and ex-minister, Chief Solomon Ewuga was kidnapped.
“The one between Gudi and Garaku is very disturbing because it is taking place next to where we have a team of military patrol, just less than 3km away. We continue to record these incidents”.
” Recently, we had a former Deputy Governor, a former minister, Solomon Ewuga, who was kidnapped in the same location, and then we had about three other kidnappings and now, day before yesterday, they have escalated not only from kidnapping to also rustling of cows,” he stated.
“It’s very unfortunate that Nigeria as a whole is facing some of these challenges. As I am talking to you, I spoke with the Governor of Plateau this morning. Mangu is on 24hr curfew because of the number of people we lost in the Mangu Local Government Area where many people lost their lives. The same situation we are having in Gombe. Of course, you know what is in Kaduna State.
“These are challenges we are having all over, but we can’t fold our arms without taking action. This is the essence of calling for this meeting.
“But in addition to that, we are beginning to see an escalation in the number of kidnappings. That is the essence of calling for this meeting.
I want to use the opportunity to thank the security agencies for all their efforts across all the security challenges we are facing. It’s for us also to go back to the drawing board and discuss other ways out.
“This is becoming very disturbing. That is why we invited you to this meeting so that we can put our heads together. So far, in Nasarawa State, we have been enjoying relative peace in the state for a number of years. We don’t want to lose that opportunity that God gave us, where we have peaceful coexistence and even during the elections where we thought we will have issues we didn’t have any issues” he said.
Those in attendance at the meeting include Hon Kwanta Yakubu, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State, Barrister Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu, heads of security agencies in the state, local government chairmen of Karu, Kokona and Toto.
Others are the Odyong Nyankpa of Panda, in Karu Local Government of Nasarawa State, HRH Barr. Joel Aninge, Chun Mada, HRH Samson Gamu Yare, National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodejo, as well as local leaders of the Fulani community including some Ardos.
Vanguard
