President Muhammadu Buhari, held meeting with some governors from the North-West ostensibly over the ongoing efforts to resolve the security crisis in the region.
It was gathered that the meeting held behind closed doors in the presidential villa, Abuja.
When cornered on his way out, one of the governors, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, told correspondents that the new security roadmap adopted by the federal and northern state governments would enable farmers to return to their farms this planting season.
He said given the efforts of security agencies, the farmers would be able to safely till their lands soon.
He said, until the last few days, Zamfara had experienced relative peace in the last four months, adding that security agents are working to ensure the situation does not escalate any further.
He said, “I can say yes because in the past four months we didn’t have much of this crisis, but it’s gradually coming back, but the security is doing their best now, particularly from the new security architecture that we have adopted now, we are having some improvements on the challenges.
“With action and the roadmap that we have drawn, between the government and the security, we are doing our best to make sure that farmers will go back to their farms and they will be able to farm, Insha Allah. We will do our best to make sure that all farmers will go back to their farms.”
He added, “For now, for the past four days no incidents had been recorded by the security, but yet we are doing our best and the security are also doing their best to make sure that they tackle all the challenges.
“I assure you that we are on top of the matter and the President has assured all of us that he’s going to take more measures on the issue of insecurity in the northern part of the country.”
On the meeting held with the President, the governor said “we discussed the security, not just myself, but the Northern region, because of the current escalation of insecurity.
“I briefed him and the governor of Niger also briefed him. The President has assured us that action will be taken about what we have discussed about the issue of insecurity.”