Northwest governors meet over killings, banditry

From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

Governors of the Northwest states have converged on Kaduna to review their security approaches in tackling banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.

The governors of the seven Northwest states were in attendance, except Kano governor, who represented by his deputy.

Also in attendance was Governor Mohammed Sani Bello of Niger State, whose state experiences the same security challenges as the bordering Northwest states.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the meeting, which has since gone into a closed-door session, the Chairman of the Northwest Governor’s Forum and Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, said that while the region had succeeded in fighting cattle rustling, new challenges of kidnapping and banditry had emerged.

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He said the meeting was also to plan ways to arrest the situation, adding that banditry and unwanted destruction of lives and property in the states and the nation at large were worrisome.

Governor Masari, however, said that the meeting, which was a continuation of what had started since 2016 when the states were faced with cattle rustling, would review what had happened and the next step to take as governors and security chiefs.

According to him, “we were able to achieve certain level of success with regards to cattle rustling, but over time, the criminality has developed into kidnapping, banditry and unwanted and unwarranted criminal activities within our states.

“So, we thought it wise we should come to Kaduna, the old headquarters of Northern Nigeria, to review what has been done. We are here to address Northwest and Niger State and also review what had happen and the next step to be taken as governors and security chiefs who are saddle with the responsibility of protecting lives and property of the people.”