Governor Sule calls for restraint ahead of the Appeal Court hearing

…Convenes expanded security meeting over herders attacks, kidnappings

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has called on his supporters, as well as the people of the state, to exercise some measure of restraint ahead of the Court of Appeal hearing fixed for Wednesday.

Governor Sule has filed an appeal challenging the judgement of the gubernatorial election petition tribunal that ruled in favour of David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Presiding over an expanded security meeting at the Government House on Monday, the Governor while commending the people of the state and tolerance shown by some politicians during and after the tribunal judgement, however urged for more restraint ahead of the Appeal Court hearing.

“Let me also use the opportunity to commend the good people of Nasarawa State and the tolerance of several politicians, especially during and after the tribunal judgement. 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 also 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 judgement that would follow at the Appeal Court,” he stated.

Governor Sule said part of the reasons for convening the expanded security meeting was to deliberate on the unfolding regular attacks on farmers by suspected herders, with such attacks recorded in six local government areas namely Nasarawa, Doma, Akwanga, Keana, Obi and Awe.

He also raised the alarm over the influx of strange faces that is already generating tension 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 as riverside in Karu Local Government Area. We are also able to have information on the lodging of some suspected drug peddlers in certain hotels, as well as what they call sleeper cell in Nasarawa, Taraba, Kaduna, created by terrorist gangs,” Governor Sule added.

Also, as part of the reasons for the meeting, the Governor expressed willingness to fall back on the working relationship with traditional rulers towards ensuring security at the grassroots.

“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 government. We are going back to engage all those security groups to work with our people,” he said.

Governor Sule used the opportunity of the meeting to commend security agencies operating in the state for the maintenance of peace, law, and order during this difficult period.

He equally commended them for the efforts that they put in place towards the rescue operations for several kidnapping victims in the state.

The head of tertiary institutions in the state also attended the meeting as part of efforts to address the incidents of kidnappings around tertiary institutions.