Fayemi calls on governors to be hard on banditry after closed door meeting with Masari

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi has called on state governors in the country to come down hard on banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.

Fayemi, who is also the Governor of Ekiti State, South-West Nigeria, made the call while speaking with journalists after a closed door meeting with his Katsina State counterpart, Aminu Bello Masari in Katsina.

Fayemi met with Masari alongside the governors of Sokoto and Kebbi states, Aminu Tambuwal and Abubakar Bagudu respectively on Tuesday over the recent abduction and rescue of the 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara.

The Ekiti State governor, who urged his colleagues to evolve programmes that would lure the youths away from crimes, said he and his colleagues were concerned about the security situation in the North-West and the entire country.

Read also: Ekiti APC wants to ‘force’ Fayemi to contest 2023 presidency

He said: “For us – the Nigerian Governors Forum – we believe that we not only have to be tough on banditry, kidnapping and criminality generally but we also have to be tough on the causes of these problems and social inequality, poverty are key issues.

“We have to ensure that our states drive away our young people from the merchants of death who are using them as cannon fodders for this criminal brigandage and we can only do that if we provide them with an alternative means of livelihood and support system that will not endear them to these elements that are endangering the whole of our country.

“This is something that we are committed to as governors in working with Mr. President so that we don’t keep talking about the same thing over and over again.

“We are all tired and frustrated that these issues are happening but we know that with concerted efforts on our part as governors and the commitment of the Federal Government and the professional conducts of our security services and our social investment programmes intensified, we shall see the end of this criminality, this brigandage in our states.

“So we are here in solidarity with the governor and the good people of Katsina State to reassure them, give them hope that help is on the way. We will work together and return our country to peace, progress, development, and prosperity.”

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