By Peter Obiechina
Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), Northern States Emirs and Chiefs led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar are presently meeting in Kaduna over recent security concerns which were escalated by the wave of #EndSARS protests across the country.
Though most northern states did not record disturbances as their counterparts in the south did, unfolding events indicate that there may be turmoil under the calm waters.
In attendance at the meeting which is holding at Government House, Kaduna is the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who is representing the president; Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawal; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase and the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammad Abubakar Adamu.
The importance of the parley is underscored by the presence of Buhari’s chief of staff and is expected to produce strategies that will forestall security breakdown in the region.
The #EndSARS protests started off with a flame on social media but later spread like wildfire to majority of southern states, especially Lagos State, before they were hijacked by hoodlums and degenerated to looting and loss of lives and properties.
However, there was a growing call for an end to wanton killings by bandits and other enemies of the state with the hashtag, #SecureNorth. The call which was spearheaded by cartoon journalist, Mustapha Bulama, has started gaining momentum with calls for protests before intervention by highly placed persons.