Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has convened the first expanded security meeting, aimed at reviewing recent security challenges in the state.
The expanded security meeting held at the Government House, on Wednesday.
The meeting, which is the first in the new year, has in attendance members of the state security council, traditional rulers, as well as representatives of both Fulani and Tiv ethnic nationalities.
In his welcoming remarks, Engineer Sule said the meeting became necessary in order to review recent crisis that occurred across parts of the state, with a view putting in place appropriate measures to forestall their re-occurrence.
According to the governor, the essence of the meeting was to have a general understanding of the recent crises including the bombing of cows around Otiya, Ginda Iwewi, in Rukubi, Ekye Development Area, attack by bandits on Sabon Gida, after Jangargari village, in Awe Local Government Area, as well as conflict between Tivs and Fulani herdsmen around Assakio and Obi.
While describing the meeting as apt, Engineer Sule said the parley will afford stakeholders get to know each other also, especially that a new state executive council was recently constituted, with new heads of security agencies also coming onboard.
“The meeting is apt for members of the security council to get to know each other. It’s also an opportunity because there are a lot of issues that have taken place some months ago. We are hoping by coming together to understand one another, we will resolve most of the issues,” he stated.
He pointed out that, the expanded security meeting will equally accord members of the security agencies, who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting every citizen, the opportunity to get to understand peculiarities of the various communities affected by the recent crises.
The governor used the opportunity of the meeting to appreciate the security agencies, especially the state Commissioner of Police, Commanding Officer, 177 Battalion, with support from the DSS and Air Force, for promptly nipping the crises that resurfaced in parts of the state.
Engineer Sule equally commended traditional rulers on their roles in resolving most of the crises, as well as heads of Fulani communities, particularly the Miyetti Allah, ardos and Fulani vigilante groups, for their support and cooperation, which assisted towards amicable resolution of some of the crises.
“The whole essence of the meeting is to see that we don’t have a repeat of these crises. These have stopped long time ago but all of a sudden, they have resurfaced,” he said.
