Governors in the Northwest have pledged to work together and adopt a common approach in tackling security challenges confronting the region.
Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda announced this on behalf of other governors in the region during the inauguration of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guard (ZSCPG) yesterday in Gusau, the state capital.
Radda noted that banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminal activities had engulfed the region in the past 10 years.
The governor said effective synergy and the adoption of common approach by the states would go a long way in addressing insecurity and foster relative peace in the region.
“We have agreed to commit ourselves in fighting banditry and other crimes, and say no to negotiations with any criminal. But those who surrendered and embrace peace would be integrated into the community,” he said.
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal said he and fellow governors in the region would work collectively to address insecurity and socio-economic problems in the region.
He said his administration had trained 2,646 members of the community guard corps to fight crimes in collaboration with neighboring states.
A former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliyu Gusau, lauded the initiative, saying it would bring peace to the region.
The event was attended by the governors of Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna states.
