The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has expressed concern about the inflow of bandits into some areas of the state who are escaping security operations in nearby Plateau State.
He disclosed this during the expanded security meeting in Lafia, the state capital.
According to him, intelligence provided by security operatives identified some bandits who fled troubled areas in Mangu local government area of Plateau State, around Mangar and Ambaka areas, in Wamba local government area, as well as in Lafia East development area of Nasarawa State
Wamba local government area shares a border with Plateau State.
“The security crisis recently around Mangu local government area in Plateau State while it’s still ongoing, has led to a lot of migration of people with some of those bandits crossing into our state mostly from Mangu and Bokkos area,” the governor said.
Governor Sule also expressed concern over the movement of herders into the border area between Keana local government area of the state and Guma in Benue State, the notorious crisis point which had led to loss of lives on both herders and Tiv sides as a result of incessant clashes.
He said although the herders are moving into the area for grazing purposes, conflict between the two ethnic groups in the area in the past made the influx of herders to the area presently a cause for concern.
“Recently, there have been movement of herders to part of Keana, this may not pose a big security challenge because they are moving to grazing areas, unfortunately those areas are also problematic because they are at the border between Keana and Guma local government area in Benue State.
“It will be a recipe for problems down the line and around the Tunga area which is our major concern,” he pointed out.
The governor equally decried the proliferation of illegal production of small arms and ammunition in the state, which he said posed a serious security threat in the state.
Earlier reports of the arrest of a number of suspected gun runners from Plateau, Katsina and Taraba by the state police command.
The commissioner of police in the state, Mr. Maiyaki Mohammed-Baba Maiyaki, had told journalists in May that four of the suspected gunrunners from Katsina State were arrested with 400 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, while other suspects who came to the state from Plateau to buy three AK-47 raffles in Asakyo community in Lafia East Development Area were also nabbed.