President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with a representation of the Northern State Governors Forum at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The meeting was attended by the chairman of the forum, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Sokoto State and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano State).

The closed-door meeting was held before President Buhari departed for New York for the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The governors were said to have briefed the President on the security situations in their states in view of the rising tension in the north over the alleged killings of some northerners in parts of the south east.

Shettima in a statement last week on behalf of the governors of the 19 northern states called on residents across the region to maintain the peace.

They had said they were aware of spill over concerns in Jos, Plateau State capital and of the rapid step taken by Governor Simon Lalong who immediately declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the state.

The governors had also assured that their administrations had placed security forces on alert with a view to tackling any unforeseen attempt to cause a breach of security.

The military on Friday declared IPOB a terrorist organisation. The Southeast governors also proscribed the activities of IPOB in order to stop the tension in the zone.

After the meeting with the three northern governors yesterday, Buhari left for New York to join other world leaders at the UN General Assembly to participate in the general debate with the theme “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet.”

Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, had stated Friday that Buhari would deliver the country’s national statement during the debate and join other world leaders at the welcoming reception to be hosted by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and also hold a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe.

President Buhari would also hold a lunch meeting with President Donald Trump of the United States of America, along with other world leaders.

The president was accompanied by the governors of Zamfara, Ebonyi and Ondo states as well as key cabinet ministers.

The presidential spokesman had also stated that President Buhari would transit through London on his way back to Nigeria.

•Excepted from a Daily Trust report.