Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has urged his supporters and the people of the state to exercise restraint in anticipation of the Court of Appeal hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Governor Sule has filed an appeal challenging the judgment of the gubernatorial election petition tribunal, which ruled in favor of David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking at an expanded security meeting at the Government House on Monday, the Governor commended the people of the state for their tolerance during and after the tribunal judgment. However, he emphasized the need for further restraint ahead of the Appeal Court hearing.
“I want to thank you sincerely for the maturity some have shown during that period. I want to also use the opportunity to call on the good people of Nasarawa State and our leaders, in particular, security agencies, to continue to show that wisdom, especially with the hearing that is coming on the 15th and the subsequent judgment that would follow at the Appeal Court,” he stated.
Governor Sule addressed concerns about regular attacks on farmers by suspected herders in six local government areas, namely Nasarawa, Doma, Akwanga, Keana, Obi, and Awe. He also expressed alarm over the influx of unfamiliar faces, particularly around Keffi Local Government Area.
“There is also, from what we have been able to gather, some level of influx of certain strangers that generate tension, especially around Keffi Local Government Area. And we also had the opportunity to discover some criminal hideouts, such as riverside in Karu Local Government Area. We are also able to gather information on the lodging of some suspected drug peddlers in certain hotels, as well as what they call a sleeper cell in Nasarawa, Taraba, Kaduna, created by terrorist gangs,” Governor Sule added.
The Governor expressed a willingness to collaborate with traditional rulers to enhance security at the grassroots, urging them to re-engage local vigilante groups, a strategy that has yielded positive results in the past.
“Part of the reasons for this meeting is to appeal to traditional rulers to resume the engagement of the local vigilante groups, like they did in the past, which has yielded positive results. We have relaxed on that, mostly on the part of the government. We are going back to engage all those security groups to work with our people,” he said.
Governor Sule took the opportunity to commend security agencies for maintaining peace, law, and order during this challenging period. He also appreciated their efforts in the rescue operations for several kidnapping victims in the state. The meeting included the heads of tertiary institutions as part of efforts to address incidents of kidnappings around these institutions.
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