Rivers, Zamfara State Governors Visit Buratai over Cultism, Cattle Rustling

The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike and his Zamfara State counterpart, Alhaji Abdualaziz Yari Abubakar, who is also the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum have variously visited the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai in his office at the Army Headquarters (AHQ) to discuss security issues in their respective States this week.

The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, in a statement yesterday, said that the duo of Wike and Yari, were concerned by the deteriorating security situations in their respective states.

According to Usman, the Rivers State Governor stated that he was at the AHQ to discuss security issues in the state that bordered on growing cult related clashes and killings by some individuals in the State which had security implications, while preparations for the election was in progress.

He said Wike "expressed concern over the atmosphere of security in the state".

The COAS, he said, equally expressed concern on the security situation in the state especially on the utterances of some prominent individuals in the state that had serious security implications.

He stated: "The visit of the Rivers State Governor has underscored the need to draw the attention of all political interest groups in Rivers State that the Nigerian Army will remain neutral and apolitical but will not spare anyone in the discharge of its security duty and the maintenance of peace.

"The Army had long been called out to assist the Nigeria Police in internal security duties. We shall continue to perform this constitutional duty professionally without bias in conjunction with other security agencies. "

In a similar visit, Usman noted, the Zamfara State Governor, drew the attention of Buratai to the menace of cattle rustlers and armed banditry that was bedeviling some parts of the state and called on the Nigerian Army to assist.

Yari, he remarked, assured that the state would support the Army in clearing the rustlers and other criminals from the state.

In his response, Usman said the Army chief had assured the Governor that the Nigerian Army had been working in conjunction with other security agencies to rout out cattle rustlers and other criminals not only in the Zamfara State, but the entire North West geo-political zone where it was more prevalent.