Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has raised an alarm over plots by Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) to establish terrorist camps in his state.
He threatened to dethrone any traditional ruler caught aiding or harbouring criminals and asked them not to allow non-indigenes with negative mindsets to settle in their domains.
Governor Ishaku stated this on Thursday while signing the N149 billion 2022 budget of the state into law at the Executive Chamber of the Government House in Jalingo.
“My delay of coming to sign the 2022 budget and address you is because of security challenges,” he said. “Boko Haram and ISWAP are trying to set up camps in this state and that is why we had an emergency meeting for over an hour before my coming.
“It is very sad that the traditional rulers are bent on encouraging this insecurity. Let me warn that I will not, and I repeat, I will not tolerate it and will not waste time to remove any traditional ruler that misbehaves.
“I am kind and soft, but can sometimes be decisive, being quiet and gentle does not make me a mere footstalk to be rubbished.”
“I must add with emphasis that security is of great concern to all of us; being the quietest state in the North East has its implications.
“I want to also talk to the traditional rulers, while we have warned them severally not to allow non-indigenes to settle in the state, their persistent refusal to abide by this warning is giving a lot of cause for concern to me,” the governor added.
He insisted that the security of lives and property would be upheld firmly by his administration and no stone would be left unturned in doing so.
According to Governor Ishaku, it is better to punish erring leaders than ignore such an action to lose the lives of thousands of people.
He assured the people that the budget would make Taraba one of the top economies in not only the North East but in the country, adding that all sectors of the state would be reformed before the end of his tenure in 2023.
