The governors under the auspices of the North-East Governors’ Forum stated this in a communique issued at the end of their 8th Meeting which was held in Maiduguri, Borno State on Saturday, September 9th, 2023. They specifically mentioned Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba States as becoming a safe haven for the terrorists. “While acknowledging the relative success recorded against insurgency, a new dimension of growing banditry is added to worsen the security situation in the subregion. “The case is becoming worse in Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba, places hitherto without banditry. It added that the proliferation of legal and illegal mining in the region is becoming a problem, noting that there is a link between mining activities and insecurity, especially the abuse of the mining leases.

Source: Punch September 11, 2023 02:24 UTC