Nigerian Governors Forum threatens to force Buhari to sack security chiefs over their failures

NIGERIA'S 36 state governors have threatened to pressurise President Muhammadu Buhari to relieve security chiefs of their duties if they cannot do their jobs and address the challenges currently afflicting the country.

Over the last few weeks, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in insecurity with over 100 people killed in Plateau State as heavily-armed Fulani cattle herdsmen went on the rampage attacking several villages. This comes on top of similar violence in Benue, Zamfara and Kaduna states, where herdsmen have been on the rampage over recent years, slaughtering rural farmers with reckless abandon.

Frustrated by the federal government's inability to address the situation, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), has asked President Buhari to replace his security chiefs if they are not up to the job. Threatening to force the issue if nothing was done, NGF chairman Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State made the call when members paid a condolence visit to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State yesterday.

Governor Yari said: “We are here to console you, the families of the victims and the entire people of Plateau State for this unfortunate thing that happened and we pray almighty God would give the families the fortitude to bear the loss and those that lost their lives, we pray for the repose of their souls. We are here to encourage you that you shouldn’t lose focus.

“We are worried, because Plateau State during your time has experienced relative peace and we are happy with that but all of a sudden, things began to take another dimension. We are going to very soon have a one-day interface with the security chiefs to ensure that they understand where we are and how this thing is depleting the relationship between the citizens and as a nation the threat that we are under, as we are under a time bomb as leaders."

He lamented the fact that Zamfara State had experienced 115 attacks between March 1and June 1 this year, which Governor Yari said claimed the lives of 435 persons. Blaming security chiefs for failing to do their jobs, Governor Yari had dropped the title of chief security officer of his state earlier this month, saying he had no say over their activities.

“They should do their jobs perfectly or else, we have no option than to ask the president to relieve them, that’s the only point. Our hands are on deck, the little resources we have are going to the handling of security challenges, instead of focusing on development," Governor Yari added.

Responding, Governor Lalong thanked the NGF for the visit. He reiterated that since he came into office, his focus has been to ensure that peace is restored in the state.