KILLINGS: Govs to summon security chiefs, mull asking Buhari to sack them

Apparently miffed by the incessant killings that have continued to pervade the country, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NFG) on Friday hinted that insecurity situation in the country has gotten to a point where they may also call for the sack of the security chiefs.

The NGF also revealed that all its 36 member governors have agreed to summon a one-day meeting with security chiefs in order to understand why the security situation in the country has continued to worsen, and that it may afterward have no other option than call on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack them accordingly.

This was stated by NGF chairman and Zamfara State governor, Abdulazeez Yari, when he led other members of the group to pay Governor Solomon Lalong of Plateau State a condolence visit in the Government House, Jos.

The NGF visit was to commiserate with Lalong over the recent massacre of about 86 persons in the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The Zamfara State governor said, “We have agreed to have a one-day interface with security chiefs very soon to ensure that they understand where we are and how these things are affecting relationship among citizens.

“As leaders, we are under a time bomb. They (security agencies) should do their job, or else we will have no option but to tell the President that they should leave. Our hands are on deck; the little resources that we have, we are putting them in the area of security, instead of development.

“In our meeting held on June 27 which lasted over five hours and ended at 2:00 am, what took most of our time was the issue of insecurity, which we felt, as leaders, we must step in. It happened to all parts of the country, in most of the states, like my own state, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto and Kebbi states; these people are all over there.

“At that meeting, we collectively condemned what happened in Plateau State and other parts of the country and looked at how we could come as one army to tackle these enemies.”

Governor Yari reiterated his recent comment that he has resigned his position as the Chief Security Officer of his state since in practical he lacked security powers to secure the lives of his people.

“I mentioned to the NGF that between March 1 and June 1, there were 115 incidents in my state and over 435 lives were lost. As leaders, how can we fold our hands while our people continue to suffer left, right and centre? The incident which happened in Plateau State is the worst ever since 2012 and the worst happened in my state when 235 (persons) were killed within two hours and another 80 corpses were found after the incident.

“We in NGF collectively condemn what happened in Plateau State and we encourage our President that, whoever is found to have a hand in these incidents in which people have lost their lives and property, must be brought to book. I think because something like that does not happen, that is why some people are taking things for granted.

“I think and hope that this will be the last incident within this administration in this magnitude because there are so many things going on and one is under intense pressure. It has been in the news that I said look, I better step down as the CSO or not to be addressed the CSO because my hands are tied.”

Lalong, who appreciated the governors for their visit, explained that the killers took them by surprise, likening them to a thief who comes at night and took his victims by surprise.

READ ALSO: KILLINGS: Amnesty Int’l lists 5 questions Buhari govt must answer as UN reacts

“In Plateau State in the last three years, my slogan has always been restoration of normalcy. We achieved this within three years and celebrated it. But unfortunately, this one (recent attack) happened. If you ask an average Plateau man, ‘how?’ he will tell you, ‘we don’t know’. And so, we don’t know why this is coming back again.

“To me as a governor, we were taken by surprise in Plateau State because when the devil plans his action, he will want to take people by surprise,” he said.

Aside Yari other governors in Plateau for the visit were Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (Bauchi); Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa State); Samuel Ortom (Benue); and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto).

Also in attendance were the deputy governors of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, and his counterparts in Oyo, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, and Kaduna states.

 

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