What may constitute another major security challenge for Nigeria is brewing in the North west zone where it has been alleged that cattle rustlers from neighbouring countries now pose unprecedented threat to life and property.

According to Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, the cattle rustlers pose a great threat to security of lives and property because of alleged “large scale unprovoked murder of innocent citizens” carried out by the group in recent times.

El-Rufai, who raised the alarm at a dialogue with governors of the Northern region at the 21st Nigerian Economic Summit, disclosed that governors from the North West region have intelligence report on how cattle rustlers sneak into Nigeria from neigbouring countries, including Niger Republic and Cameroon, to carry out what he described as teleguided transnational killings in the region, before converging on pockets of forests scattered all around the North West.

According to the Kaduna governor, who identified security challenge as one of the key difficulties faced by the region, the activities of the rustlers needed to be nipped in the bud before it escalated and consumed the region like the Sambisa Forest experience.

He lamented that the nefarious activities of the rustlers has degenerated that they recently invaded the farm house of a former vice president and carted away all his livesstock, in addition to causing severe damage to farmlands of peasants who have no other means of livelihood.

El-Rufai, who spoke on behalf of goverors of the North West region, said attempts to get help from the Federal Government failed following complaints of shortage of funds to handle the situation. He, however, said that through the synergy by the governors, the North West has been able to fund a task force which has been able to degrade the activities of the bandit rustlers and recovered well over 12,000 stolen cattle.

According to him, governors of the region have formed a regional security network, with Niger State recently incorporated, to checkmate activities of cattle rustlers and other bandits who impede security of lives and property in the region.

In the education sector, El-Rufai noted that an audit of teachers in Kaduna State showed that over 60 percent of teachers were not qualified to teach. To address the issue, he noted that a total of 3,000 graduates of English and Mathematics were recruited to fill the gap on short-term basis.

Governors of Katsina, Kogi, Benue and Gombe all spoke on the need to scale up security in their states, especially through gathered intelligence and citizens participation.