Northern governors meet security heads over banditry in the region

Governors of the northern states on Tuesday met with security heads over the rising insecurity in the region.

During the meeting chaired by the national security adviser, the governors discussed ways of ending the incessant killings in the north.

According to Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara state, the governors will continue to fight bandits who have “refused” to subscribe to their peace initiative.

Matawalle, who was addressing state house correspondents in Abuja, said he came to brief the chief of staff to the president on the situation in Zamfara, one of the states worst hit by insecurity.

He said: “I am here to see the chief of staff because of the issue of security that is bedevilling Zamfara. We have discussed extensively the issue of insecurity in northern Nigeria, not just Zamfara.

“Today (Tuesday), northern governors met in the national security adviser’s office with the inspector general of police and other security agencies.

“We discussed seriously on the issue of insecurity and the chief of staff invited me today to come and brief him about insecurity in my state which I did. We have discussed it and understand where we are going. Zamfara state government and the security chiefs are doing their best to ensure we contain insecurity

“There are some repentant bandits that have already subscribed to the peace initiative. We are using them. Some that have refused to dialogue, we are fighting them, so we are using both.”

The continued security challenges in various parts of the country have led to calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to take more decisive steps to address the issue.

When he met with the service chiefs recently, the president said their excuses are no longer acceptable, and that they must step up efforts to fight insecurity.