As the Court of Appeal hearing approaches, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has called on his supporters and residents of the state to exercise restraint.
He expressed concerns about the influx of unfamiliar individuals, escalating tension in the state, particularly in the Keffi Local Government Area.
Governor Sule, who recently filed an appeal challenging the gubernatorial election petition tribunal’s judgment in favor of David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the call during an expanded security meeting at the state’s Government House on Monday.
Sule, while acknowledging the maturity displayed by the people of Nasarawa State and the tolerance exhibited by some politicians during and after the tribunal judgment, urged for continued restraint as the Court of Appeal hearing approaches.
Part of the meeting’s agenda was to discuss the recurrent attacks on farmers by suspected herders in six local government areas: Nasarawa, Doma, Akwanga, Keana, Obi, and Awe.
Sule said he is willing to collaborate with traditional rulers to enhance security at the grassroots, calling on traditional rulers to re-engage local vigilante groups, emphasizing the positive results yielded in the past through such collaborations.
“There is also, from what we have been able to gather, some level of influx of certain strangers that generate tension, especially around Keffi Local Government Area.
“We also had the opportunity to discover some criminal hideouts at the riverside in Karu Local Government Area. We also have information on the lodging of some suspected drug peddlers in certain hotels, as well as what they call sleeper cells in Nasarawa, Taraba, Kaduna, created by terrorist gangs.
“Part of the reasons for this meeting is to appeal to traditional rulers to resume the engagement of the local vigilante groups as they did in the past, which has yielded positive results.
“We have relaxed on that, mostly on the part of the government. We are going back to engage all those security groups to work with our people,” he added.
During the meeting, the governor commended the security agencies operating in the state for maintaining peace, law, and order. He also applauded their efforts in rescue operations for kidnapping victims.
