Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Federal Government of Nigeria has estimated that about 257 persons have been killed since January in the course of a spate of herdsmen clashes and violence in swathes of the country.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, who quoted the figure in Katsina on Thursday, explained that the number was recorded in 30 incidents from across the country.
Mustapha spoke at the opening ceremony of the Federal and States Security Administrators’ Meeting (FSSAM), where he was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Sulaiman Haliru, who is also Chairman of the forum.
In a statement, Mustapha said:
“Within the last few months, we have recorded a total of over 30 incidents which have claimed lives of more than 257 persons within this year alone.
“States most affected are Zamfara, Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger and Kaduna to mention but a few. In fact, other states in the southern parts of the country.
“Apart from these herdsmen and farmers clashes, we also have other problems, security challenges, which are also compounding the security landscape. This is in the area of kidnapping and abduction.
“Kidnapping and abduction used to be restricted to some areas but now, and from records, it is virtually a national menace, becoming so rampant everywhere.
“Another worrying issue is the increasing menace of child abuse. Children have now now become victims of criminal rape and molestation.”
Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, who also spoke at the event, noted that, “the state government spends over N60 million monthly in assisting and supporting the security agencies in the state.
“It is against this backdrop and our present financial position that I would like to solicit that the Federal Government comes in and looks into the issue of funding of security agencies operating in the states.”