ACF Expresses Worry over Increasing Insecurity in the North

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Northern socio-cultural organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has expressed deep concern over the increasing insecurity in the region.

Speaking when the officials led a delegation on a courtesy call to the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, at the Government House, Kaduna, the Deputy National Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Liman Kwande condemned the recent attacks and killings in some communities in the southern part of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen and urged the authorities to put an end to the killings.

Kwande also lamented the rampant kidnapping of people along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway gunmen, saying the ACF was worried by seeming increase in crime rate in the north.
“The recent attacks by suspected herdsmen on some communities in the Godogodo chiefdom, where lives were lost, properties destroyed, and most importantly trust among the communities have been severely damaged, are most condemnable.

“The rampant kidnapping of innocent people along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway among others is great concerns to us.

“These threats to our peace, as a region and collectively as a people, must be addressed by both the government and socio-cultural groups like ACF,” Kwande said.

He disclosed that the ACF, as part of its efforts towards addressing the problem of insecurity in the North, plans to organise a security summit in Kaduna with a view to finding solutions to the problems.

“To respond to these serious security challenges, the ACF thought it necessary to organise a Northern Security Summit, where stakeholders will be invited to openly discuss the various forms of insecurity and proffer workable solutions” he said.

He solicited the support of the Kaduna State government towards successful hosting of the summit and urged the governor to also canvass for the support of other state governors in the North towards that direction.

Responding, el-Rufai, commended the forum for its contribution towards addressing the security challenges in the region.

He said the planned security summit is timely spate of security challenges being faced by the north; ranging from cattle rustling, kidnapping, rural banditry and reprisal attacks in different parts of the region.

The governor said the summit will help in finding solutions to the unfortunate circumstances facing the region and assured that the state government support forum to ensure the success of the summit in view of its importance.