Buhari returns to Nigeria a day earlier than scheduled in response to Zamfara and Kaduna killings

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has cut short his trip to the Middle East and returned to Nigeria a day ahead of schedule in response to the growing insecurity in the country after reports of killings in Zamfara and Kaduna states.

Over the last week, about 50 are reported to have been killed in Zamfara State as the growing banditry there continues to escalate. With gold deposits recently discovered in the state, the mining of these minerals is thought to be fuelling the crisis and in response, the federal government has suspended all mining activities for the time being.

In southern Kaduna State, the ongoing communal violence between Muslim Fulani herdsmen and Christian farming communities has also claimed more lives this week. With the violence spiralling out of control, President Buhari returned from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates at about 10.45am this morning to address the crisis.

On April 4 President Buhari left Abuja for Amman to honour an invitation by King Abdullah Al-Hussein of Jordan to participate in the World Economic Forum. While there, he delivered an address at the opening of the plenary alongside King Al-Hussein and United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres.

After that event, the president proceeded to Dubai where he participated in the ninth edition of the Annual Investment Meeting. While in Dubai, President Buhari also held bilateral talks and met with different groups of investors at the sidelines of the gathering.