Again, Northern Governors show loss of confidence in Buhari, take up interventions on rising insecurity, threats of war

Northern governors, for the second time in about two weeks, have shown loss of confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari over the rising insecurity and the associated threats of inter-ethnic war across Nigeria. The northern governors, under the auspices of the Northern Governors Forum, had a fortnight ago resolved to be directly involved in handling the increasing insecurity crises, which include kidnapping, invasion of rural communities, killings, and destruction of farmlands, linked to the Fulani herdsmen, which are currently provoking resistance and pandemonium in several southern states. The governors in their resentment, supported an end to open grazing, and demanded the federal government to provide financial assistance for the development of ranching facilities in the north. The Governor of Kano State, Umar Abdulahi Ganduje, specifically said that the Fulani herdsmen should leave the south and return to the north.

Subsequently, some northern governors took additional steps, met with the new service chiefs on the security crisis in the north.

After the Yoruba/Hausa/Fulani clash at the Shasha Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, four northern governors who include Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano State Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and Abubakar Sanni of Niger State, took up the responsibility of visiting Oyo State for quick mediatory intervention to avert further bloodshed. The governors took the firm action even while the federal government was still writing press statement.

The four northern governors met with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Monday, thereafter, they visited the Shasha Market in Ibadan on Tuesday for on-the-spot assessment of the carnage after the conflagration between the Yoruba and Hausa communities in the Oyo State capital last Friday.

They were accompanied by security agents as they went round the market to assess the level of damage done.

The four northern governors, including their host, Makinde, after the visit to the scene of the pandemonium, proceeded for consultation with the Seriki, Alhaji Haruna Maiyasin. They will extend the consultation to the Baale of Shasha. The governors’ intervention was focused on appealing to the Yoruba and Hausa communities to eschew from inter-ethnic hostilities and unite for peaceful coexistence.

The northern governors have been working round the clock to forestall reprisal killings or further inter-ethnic confrontations in any part of the country.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had on Monday deployed a special force to recover the public space in the troubled area.