Nigerian northern governors call for more security deployment

Nigeria's Northern State Governors' Forum on Sunday called on the federal government to deploy more security personnel with superior military equipment to troubled states in the area. The call was made in a statement released by Danladi Ndayeko, press secretary to the Governor of Niger State Babangida Aliyu, who is also chairman of the forum. The statement cited the killing of at least 13 persons by unknown gunmen in central state of Plateau on Saturday, urging the military to review its counter-insurgency strategy to protect citizens, who are being killed daily by members of the Boko Haram. "We, the northern governors have agreed in our last meeting in Kaduna to deal decisively with the fast growing security challenges being posed by the activities of cattle rearers," it said. "We therefore call on the federal government to consider a national policy to settle nomads and provide adequate grazing reserves and cattle routes," the statement quoted Aliyu as saying. The forum appealed to the federal government to make funds available to the states afflicted with the problem of insurgency to address attendant issues. It hailed the military for restricting trans-border movements between Nigeria and Cameroon, urging security agencies to do all that is within their powers to halt the killings in the region.