Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has called for an emergency security council meeting to address the rising cases of kidnappings and other security challenges in the state.
The meeting, which took place at the Government House on Monday, was convened in response to the escalation of security threats, including kidnappings and activities of ethnic militia groups, particularly in areas such as Keffi, Doma, Lafia, Awe, Obi, Keana, Karu, and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.
During his opening remarks at the meeting, Governor Sule expressed concern over the increase in kidnappings and militia activities, pointing out incidents in villages around Shegye, Katakpa, and other areas in Toto Local Government Area of the state.
The governor also mentioned disputes within communities, such as the recent incident in the Udege area where a person was killed due to intra-ethnic conflicts.
“The purpose of the meeting has to do with the security situation that we have seen, especially during my absence, when certain issues were escalated.
“It’s indeed a point of worry that we continue to see an increase in the number of kidnappings, especially in Keffi, Doma, Lafia, Awe, Obi, Keana, Karu and Nasarawa Local Government Areas of the state.
“We have also seen an increase in the activities of the militia terrorizing innocent people, especially in areas surrounding Shegye, Katakpa, and some other villages in Toto Local Government Area.
“We have, on the other hand, seen some increase in the dispute, especially between communities similar to the one we have seen in Udege area, where a person was killed as a result of misunderstanding within the same ethnic group,” Sule stated.
He mentioned that recent discussions with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in Lagos and security chiefs in Abuja necessitated the emergency meeting, stating the need to address the activities of the Bassa militia group, which had been operating under the guise of the Bassa Vigilante Group.
The governor announced plans to ban all single ethnic group vigilante groups in the state, including the Fulani Vigilante Group that has been active since 2009.
He stated that members of these groups would be given a grace period to join existing community vigilante groups.
“One of the discussions that we are going to have today is to consider the banning of any single ethnic group vigilante that is operating in the state.
“Any particular ethnic group establishing a vigilante will be banned.
“By the time we take the decision about banning single ethnic group vigilante, especially the Bassa vigilante group, then we will work towards ensuring we want peace in the state.
“We will give them a period of roughly one to two weeks to return their uniforms to us so that we can ensure they are disbanded.
“We will also ensure they are willing to abide by the system in the state and the policies of the government,” Sule added.
The Governor commended his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, for holding the fort during his absence on the Lesser Hajj to Saudi Arabia and thanked all those who supported his deputy, including traditional rulers and security agencies.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies in mitigating security challenges in the state, particularly in addressing recent crises between farmers and herders, such as the clash between the Eggon and Tiv communities in Kadarko, where five people were killed.
He said, “We are also aware of the crisis between farmers and herders recently, especially between the Eggon and Tiv community in Kadarko, where five people were killed. We will also discuss this today with a view to finding a way forward.”