The Northwest Governors including the Governor of Niger State today, Thursday met under the Chairman of their Forum, the Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari to review the security situation of their respective States.
Governor Masari during the meeting said that he is confident that the insecurity being faced by the Northwest region will be subdued.
Present at the meeting were Governors Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger). Deputy Governor Nasiru Gawuna represented Kano State. The Governor of Kwara State joined the meeting by telephone.
The Governors also received briefings from heads of security agencies, at the meeting which had in attendance Major-General A. Agundu (Commander, Operation Safe Haven), Major-Gen. F.I. Yahaya, GOC 1 Division, AVM, M.I. Mukhtar (AOC Air Training Command), Rear Admiral T. Pani (Commandant, Nigerian Navy School of Armaments) and other senior military officers. Commissioners of Police and State Directors of the DSS from the concerned states also attended the meeting.
The northeast region in recent times has been experiencing attacks from bandits disguising as gunmen and kidnappers.
Governor Masari in a recent interview said Nigeria has become economically attractive to kidnappers and bandits within the Sahel region of the continent.
A communique issued after the meeting disclosed that the state governors resolved to jointly fund security operations aimed at conclusively addressing the challenge from the criminal elements.
The Governors also agreed on joint measures to protect citizens from the likely impact of Covid-19.