The governors of the northeast have voiced alarm over a new trend of increasing banditry that threatens the security of the area.
The North-East Governors’ Forum, under whose supervision the governors met on Saturday in Maiduguri, released a communique expressing their worry.
“while acknowledging the relative success recorded against insurgency, a new dimension of growing banditry is added to worsen the security situation in the subregion,” said the bulletin.
Since the military has been working together to “flush bandits from parts of the country,” the Forum claims that the fugitives are now heading northeast.
Bandit activity is on the rise, according to the Forum, even in formerly peaceful states like Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba.
The group of governors then pleaded with the federal government to take swift action.
“The Forum is aware that some traditional rulers and other local authorities are conniving with the bandits, giving them shelter and cover to commit crimes within the subregion,” they said.
All of the governors agreed that they would take swift action against any community leader or traditional ruler who was found to be hiding or cooperating with the bandits.
The Forum also decided that its next gathering will take place in Yola, Adamawa State, on November 3 and 4, 2023.
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