The meeting of the National Economic Council held yesterday in Abuja, the first time in nine months. Several issues were discussed at the meeting and one of the chief areas of discussions was the growing insurgency in the country.
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state notified the NEC of the infiltration of strange men and women, suspected to be armed mercenaries into Benue, Edo, Delta and Kogi states.
Suswam said, “Comprehensive discussion was made in the council and the Governors of Delta and Edo states said people came into their states in trucks without cattle. Cattle grazers move around with cattle but these insurgents now come to town in their large numbers and in trailer loads.
“The Governor of Kogi also confirmed that they have condoned an area because these people came in four trucks. They have asked security to condone it off. It is actually a cause for concern because mercenaries have taken over, what is happening is that this is beyond the Fulani that we know and who are part of us.”
He added: “These are different crops of people either parading as Fulani or people who are Fulani from displaced areas because they are heavily armed. The Fulani around us here are never heavily armed. Even their women carry AK 47. So these are not the regular Fulani we are used to who are within are country. These are people moving into our country with a mission we are yet to know. But the NSA assured us that serious actions are being taken to address and contain these people who are moving into Nigeria from destinations that we do not even know.”
On a probable solution, he said: “We also agreed that we will speak to the Vice President to seek the leave of Mr. President for us to immediately call for a security council meeting inclusive of governors with relevant heads of security agencies. That meeting we expect to take place in the shortest possible time where several approach will be taken and the strategy of how we can resolv it be suggested by individual governors in their various states.”