Insecurity : North-west governors seek EU support

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Thursday led his counterparts from Sokoto and Zamfara States to the office of the European Union in Abuja to seek the support of the union for tackling the escalating insecurity in the North-west region of Nigeria.

The spokesperson for the Katsina governor, Abdulhadi Bawa, said in a statement that the governors held a closed door meeting with officials of the Mission in Nigeria led by Ketil Karlsen, an ambassador

According to Mr Bawa, the meeting discussed the various challenges in the North-west region, most importantly,, that of security.

He said the meeting afforded them the opportunity to solicit more support from the EU and other members of the diplomatic community also present at the meeting.

Also commenting, Sokoto State Governor Tambuwal said the meeting provided the Mission first hand information from the governors on the security of the entire region.

The information, the governors said, will enable the EU and the other parties to evaluate and select the areas in which they can offer their support and intervention.

Earlier, the head of the EU Mission in Nigeria, Mr Karlsen, told journalists that the EU and other international communities are eager to assist the North-West zone in creating the enabling environment and support to bring about the desired development, the statement said.

The North-west region is under a siege of violent crimes including kidnapping and killings that have caused mass displacement of residents

In Zamfara, one of the state worst hit, a committee set up by government to find solutions to banditry in the state in its report said over N3 billion had been collected by bandits as ransom in the state.

The report, which covered June 2011 to May 29, 2019, said the money was collected from the relatives of 3,672 victims,

It also said 4,983 women were widowed, 25,050 children orphaned and 190,340 persons displaced by banditry over a period of nine years in the state.

Also, it said Fulani herdsmen lost 2,015 cattle, 141 sheep and goats, 2,600 donkeys and camels to rustlers, while 147,800 vehicles, motorcycles and others were burnt at different times and locations within the period.