Despite being superbly blessed by nature with abundant minerals, Nasarawa State was bedevilled by crime and insecurity. In this report, LINUS OOTA writes on how huge investments in security and other critical sectors are beginning to bear desired results
Nasarawa State, created on 1st October 1996 out of present Plateau State, is widely regarded as home of solid minerals. It is also known for the bustling energy of its industrious people spread across agriculture and other related commercial activities. In short, it is a state that holds the promise of a prosperous young state for all.
However, attaining its full potential has been difficult, with the state having been laid prostrate by criminal acts and armed conflicts. Before the current administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule came on board, Nasarawa State witnessed some of the most devastating conflicts, resulting in vicious attacks on indigent farmers. These attacks were characterised by the nefarious activities of organised criminal groups, resulting in incidents such as kidnapping for ransom, armed bandits, communal clashes, farmers/pastoralists clashes, which claimed lives and destroyed farmlands and assets worth billions and more.
Between 2017/2018, no fewer than 600 farmers lost their lives to herdsmen/pastoralists crisis. The conflict evolved from spontaneous reactions to provocations at a point to deadlier planned attacks, particularly in Nasarawa south senatorial district (Keana, Awe, Lafia, Doma and Obi LGAs). As the killings persisted then, the farmers in the state were weaving destructive conspiracy theories to explain the conflict, with charges and counter charges of ethnic cleansing and even genocide by both farmers and herders flying in the air. Then, there was widespread disenchantment with the Umaru Tanko Al-Makura administration in the state who was viewed to be soft on the herders.
The sparks for herder-farmer clashes in the state tended to be disagreements over the use of land and water, livestock theft or the obstruction of traditional migration routes. Throughout history, men of audacity and immense courage are often sought after when societies are at a delicate juncture, and Nasarawa as at 2018/2019, without doubt, was having a test of its statehood due to the number of farmers that were killed by herders and communities displaced.
At that time, many residents believed that the state required a man of immense courage, dexterity and candour to wriggle the state out. Governor Abdullahi Sule was handy to take up the challenge. In his inaugural speech, Governor Sule vowed to tackle insecurity in the state head-on. “As a matter of priority, my administration will place special emphasis on security of the people. Over the years, there have been general security issues in some parts of the state and the situation has undermined development. Development would only occur if there is any atmosphere of peace and security of lives and properties,” he said.
To win the war, his administration has evolved bold reforms since its inception in 2019 – aimed at addressing some of the socio-economic challenges, which were responsible for triggering the state’s insecurity crisis. For example, he deployed more security men to the affected areas, ensured that they were better equipped, improved local ties to gather better intelligence, and respond speedily to early warnings and distress calls. The state has begun to disarm armed groups, including ethnic militias and vigilantes in the affected parts of the state, and closely watch land borders to curb the inflow of firearms.
The administration has also started implementing the national livestock transformation plan, besides fostering dialogue between herders and farmers by strengthening mechanisms that support peace initiatives at the local level. The focus in the state now is to ensure that human lives and properties of the people of the state are wholly guaranteed. This approach to security situations in the state has helped to calm frayed nerves, and ensured the return to normalcy. In the last three years, Nasarawa has witnessed a breath of fresh air blowing across the length and breadth of the state, from security to education to health to infrastructure development to sports to agriculture to economy and investment, among others.
Governor Sule reiterated that, for his administration, security is not too expensive, “unless the state lacks resources. If we have the resources, we will put in all to ensure that we protect the lives and properties of our people,” he said.
Security strategies verging on collaboration
On assumption of office in 2019, Governor Sule, as part of strategy in tackling the security concerns in Nasarawa State, met with his Benue State counterpart, Governor Samuel Ortom, to proffer workable solutions to the lingering crisis involving ethnic nationalities and herdsmen/farmers along border communities between the two states. The joint security meeting was held at Yelwa, in Guma LGA of Benue State at the instance of Governor Sule. He had told his Benue State counterpart that the meeting became necessary following renewed conflicts along border communities in Nasarawa State, involving on one hand, Alagos and Tivs, over boundary demarcation and on the other, Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers.
That maiden meeting was attended by the Governor Ortom, traditional rulers of the two states, local government chairmen of the two states, various community leaders of the two states, which has put to rest the incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes in Nasarawa State and the border communities in Benue State. Another milestone recorded by the administration in tackling security challenges in the state is working in collaboration with the federal government through the Inspector General of Police, Alkhali Baba, to site the Police Mobile Training College at Ende Hill in Nasarawa Eggon LGA of the state as well as the Air Force Base in Lafia, the state capital. The essence is to tackle the activities of the Islamic sects Darul- Salam and Hakka in Toto and Awe LGAs of the state, among other crimed such as banditry and kidnappings.
Furthermore, another critical step taken by Governor Sule administration towards checking the menace of criminality in the state was offering the Lafia cargo airport an operational base for the NAF 22 Quick Response Special Forces. The deployed NAF force are now working in collaboration with operation whirl stroke with a view to boosting security in the state as well as the entire North-central geo-political zone.
There is no doubt that the state is operating with the administrative truism that peace and security are essential factors of human life and, as such, a peaceful and secured environment is critical to every society since it affects all aspects of economic and social development. The strategic approach to addressing the security challenges hinged on the determination to free the state of crime, and this effort has led to the bustling return of commercial activities in all sectors of the state economy and the growing investors, confidence in making Nasarawa State an economic hub of the north central zone.
Another effort to improve the security of the people of the state is the quick assent to a bill, which prescribed death penalty for anyone found indulging in kidnapping in the state. “I need to state that the Nasarawa State kidnapping act prohibition law was extensively deliberated and passed by the state House of Assembly. The law spelt out various offences relating to kidnapping and prescribed stringent punishment for perpetrators, such as life imprisonment and death penalty,” Governor Sule said.
The law stipulates forfeiture to the state of any property used by kidnappers; while owners of such property would be liable to 20 years jail term. As it stands today in Northern Nigeria, it is easier to list the number of the companies yet to be in Nasarawa State than attempt to count the number of multi-billion naira industries that berthed in the state in just three years of the administration of Governor Sule. In other words, many have said that the huge investments by the Sule administration in security, roads construction, Karu and Lafia bus terminus, power, ease of doing business environment, agriculture, health, education and other sectors of the state economy have clearly yielded salutary results.
Speaking on the administration’s efforts to protect the Tiv farmers in Nasarawa from herdsmen attacks, President Tiv Development Association (TIDA) Nasarawa State, Comrade Peter Ahemba, said Governor Sule has always dealt decisively with security issue affecting the Tiv farmers in Nasarawa since he assume office. He said that while farmers have returned to farms, the Tiv people who used to be targets of herdsmen attacks remained grateful to the administration’s relentless efforts in securing the Tiv people of Nasarawa State as they enjoy relative peace.