Zainab Ali
Governors of the 19 Northern states on Monday met in Kaduna to address the renewed surge in kidnapping, banditry and other security challenges across the region.
The emergency meeting, which held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, was convened to deliberate on strategies to stem the worsening security situation in several northern states.
Those in attendance included Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), while other states were represented by their deputies.
Traditional rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, also participated in the high-level security meeting.
Although official details of the deliberations had yet to be released as of Monday, a government source said the talks were focused on the recent spike in abductions, attacks on rural communities, and growing threats to schools across the North.
Local media reports indicate that several states have recently shut down schools following repeated attacks on educational institutions.
Last week, gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, abducting at least 24 schoolgirls and killing the school’s vice principal.
A few days later, armed attackers invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, abducting more than 300 students and staff. About 50 of the abducted students reportedly escaped after the attack.
The outcome of Monday’s meeting is expected to shape coordinated regional security actions in the coming days.