The 19 Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF) has tasked the Federal Government to secure the country’s porous borders by restricting trans-border movement especially in the North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

The governors in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held today in Kaduna, North-East Nigeria, gave this as one of the ways to effectively check the Boko Haram insurgency that has blighted the North-East.

The governors in the communique signed by the chairman of the forum and governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, appealed to the FG to implement all past reports on security challenges in the country.

“Concerted efforts put in place by all member States top further ameliorate the fast growing security challenges being posed by cattle rustler/rearers and the proliferation of armed banditry in most parts of the northern states,” the governors said.

They appealed to the FG on the need to provide urgent and adequate funds to Borno,Yobe and Adamawa states in order to properly address related issues.

The forum also called on the FG to consider national policy to settle nomads and providing adequate grazing reserves and cattle routes.

“The security situation in the North-East should be seen as a national concern to avert its spread to other parts of the country in view of the continuing threat from the insurgents,” the communique issued at the end of the six hours meeting read in part.

The governors equally called on the FG to deploy more security personnel with superior military equipment as well as adopt measures to boost their moral to enable them effectively fight the insurgents and other threats to security in the region.

Only five out of the 19 governors attended the meeting. Eight states sent no representatives while five governors sent their deputies. Governors that neither came nor were represented at the meeting are governor Ibrahim Gaidam Yobe, Umar Garba of Taraba, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Jonah Jang of Plateau, Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara and Aliyu Wakili of Sokoto.

Governors of Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Gombe, Borno were represented by their deputies.

Governor Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi, Abdulhai Ahmed of Kwara, Musa Kwankwaso Kano, Suswan of Benue, Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger and the host governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State were in attendance.

•Photo shows a cross section of Northern Governors.

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