As bandits and other criminal elements continue to perpetrate senseless attacks on soft attacks in some parts of Nigeria Southern governors, operating under the aegis of Southern Governors Forum, held a closed-door meeting in Asaba, Delta state on Wednesday. Of the 17 southern states, 13 governors were in attendance at the meeting. They are Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Willy Obiano (Anambra), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo). After individual attempts to address the threat of open grazing in Southern states, the Forum of Southern Governors in one voice, yesterday, announced a ban on open grazing in all the 17 Southern states. They recommended that the Federal Government should support willing states to develop alternative and modern livestock management systems.

The Federal Government has approved new security measures to be adopted to tackle insecurity in the South-East and South-South. These measures were approved when President Muhammadu Buhari met with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. This was disclosed to State House Correspondents after the meeting by the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.

The Nigerian Army said its soldiers of 8 Division operating in Zamfara and adjoining states have fighting bandits in the North West have neutralized 48 of them and rescued 18 persons held hostage in the first phase of its newly launched Operation Tsare Mutane, to flush out the criminals. Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Mohammed Yerima, made the revelation, in a statement yesterday. According to Yerima, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Ibrahim Attahiru had directed the Division to stabilize the security situation in the zone to facilitate the return of socio-economic activities. He said the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Division, Usman Yusuf, launched the first phase of the operation that lasted from March 23 to April 2 in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara.

National chairmanship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Salihu Mustapha has warned against inciting comments capable of plunging the country into another civil war and instead seek peaceful means of resolving conflicts. As Mustapha argued, only peaceful Nigeria will make possible the conduct of the 2023 general elections to birth a new government.

The Federal Government said it has begun profiling towards prosecution of a large number of well-placed Nigerians suspected of being financiers of terrorism in the country. Authorities said that the arrest of an undisclosed number of suspects recently came following the conviction of some Nigerians on terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While addressing newsmen on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami said that investigations conducted have established reasonable evidence of the involvement of the highly placed individuals, businessmen, and institutions across the country in financing the Boko Haram terrorists.