Herdsmen, Farmers Crisis: Presidency, National Assembly hold security summit

The National Assembly has announced a two-day national security summit in a bid to find solutions to the nation’s pressing security challenges.

Organised in collaboration with the Presidency, the summit will hold on Thursday and Monday at the state house in Abuja.

The summit will provide a platform for heads of security and defence agencies, governors, traditional rulers, sociocultural groups, civil society organisations to deliberate and seek solutions to escalating insecurity, a statement signed by the senate leader and chairman, ad-hoc committee on security, Ahmed Lawan, said Tuesday.

The Senate had on January 17, while deliberating on a report submitted by its adhoc committee on the crises in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa States, resolved to convene a security summit.

The two-day summit will also review the challenges faced by security agencies in the performance of their duties.

The statement said though the summit was an initiative of the Senate, it is being convened in partnership with the Presidency to find a common solution to the issues.

The statement added that President Muhammadu Buhari will declare the summit open at the Banquet Hall of the State House on Thursday.

All 36 state governors are expected to attend.

Also expected at the summit are senators and members of the House of Representatives, Ministers of Defence and Interior, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Service Chiefs and other heads of security agencies.

Others are selected traditional rulers from across the six geo-political zones, representatives of regional socio political organisations, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Also invited are the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).