Traditional rulers In the North-East of Nigeria were at the weekend accused of aiding banditry in the geopolitical zone. The North-East Governors’ Forum leveled this allegation in a communique issued after a meeting it held on Saturday in Maiduguri, the Borno capital.
The governors said the states in the geopolitical zone, particularly Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba, had winessed an increase in criminal activities due to the influx of bandits.
Read the communique signed by Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno State and chairman of the forum: “While acknowledging the relative success recorded against insurgency, a new dimension of growing banditry is added to worsen the security situation in the subregion.
“The forum calls on the Federal Government to urgently intervene to address the issue.
“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”.
The forum vowed to bring down the hammer on any traditional ruler or community leader conniving with, or providing cover for bandits, just as it also resolved to tackle illegal mining activities in their states which is fuelling insecurity.
On climate change, the forum said the silting of rivers and deforestation caused by massive charcoal business had compounded the situation.
The governors called for effective control of deforestation with stern regulation to address the menace.
