Governor Abdullahi Sule addressing security meeting in Lafia on Saturday 20th May.
Cecilia Onah, Lafia
Following the increasing spate of insecurity in Nasarawa state, Governor Abdullahi Sule has convened an emergency security meeting with a view to tackling the menace and restore normalcy in the affected areas.
The Dune reports that in recent time, there had been communal clashes in different parts of the state, as well as the escalation of kidnapping activities.
Speaking during the emergency security meeting at the weekend in Lafia, Sule lamented that the recent communal clashes which claimed many lives in Kokona, Karu and Toto Local Government Areas of the state, could not have occurred if residents of the areas better understood themselves.
He narrated that the expanded security meeting which also had in attendance, National and Local Fulani leaders, was aimed at seeking ways to support the security agencies in the state to proffer solutions to the prevailing security challenges.
The governor further condemned the escalation of kidnapping activities in the state, especially along the Gudi-Garaku road, where a former deputy governor and ex-minister, Chief Solomon Ewuga was recently kidnapped.
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“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, and 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. Again, day before yesterday, they escalated not only from kidnapping to also rustling of cows.
“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 to us, where we have peaceful co-existence, and even during the elections when we thought we would have issues, we didn’t have any issue,” the governor added.
Our correspondent reports that those in attendance at the meeting include the Secretary to the State Government, Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Kwanta Yakubu, heads of security agencies in the state, local government chairmen of Karu, Kokona and Toto LGAs, traditional rulers, among others.
