Clashes: Gov Sule Holds Emergency Security Meeting

Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has convened an emergency security meeting, with a view to tackling the resurgence of communal clashes across parts of the state, as well as the escalation of kidnapping activities.

In an opening remark at the Government House during the weekend, Engineer Sule decried the resurgence of communal clashes especially in Kokona, Karu and Toto Local Government Areas of the state, even as he lamented that the entire country is facing security challenges leading to the loss of lives.

The Governor explained that, the expanded security meeting, which has also in attendance national and local Fulani leaders, aimed at affording the security architecture in the state to go back to the drawing board in order to proffer strategies to address the prevailing security challenges in the state.

Engineer Sule used the opportunity of the meeting to condole with families of the victims of recent crisis in Tatara, Gitata and Takalafiya, as well as in Toto and Karu Local Government Areas.

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.

Sule said, “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 which other ways out.

“This is becoming very disturbing. That is why we invited you for 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 these 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 issue.

Our correspondent reports that 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.