Nigeria’s 19 northern governors say they are ready to provide security and safety measures to schoolchildren in their states.

This is just as news broke Friday morning that almost 300 female students were abducted from their school in Zamfara.

The father of one of the students and a teacher at the school when the students were abducted confirmed the incident to the BBC.

The schoolgirls were kidnapped from their school, GSS Jangebe Secondary School, around midnight.

The police and the Zamfara government have not confirmed the latest abduction.

In a communique issued at the end of a meeting in Kaduna, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau, said his counterparts resolved to map out plans to address the poverty underdevelopment in the region.

Mr. Lalong added that the governors also reiterated their commitment to work in synergy with governors in the south to promote harmonious and peaceful coexistence among citizens and all ethnic nationalities.

According to the communique, the 19 northern governors also resolved to partner traditional institutions, religious leaders, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure peace and security.

“We resolved to put more effort to enhance the security and safety of all schools within our domains. We urge security agencies to collaborate with the various state governments towards achieving this noble objective.

“The forum also resolved to address all humanitarian challenges facing the internally displaced persons through provision of enabling facilities and re-integration back to their communities.

“The forum further resolved to work with security agencies to address the porous intra- and inter-border in order to arrest illicit and illegal movements.

“The governors also resolved to address the menace of ‘Yan’Sakai,’ the local vigilante in some states, through meaningful engagements and legislation.

“The 19 governors also reiterated its commitment to include rural dwellers, especially farmers/herders, through the provision of equitable opportunities for socio-economic and political participation both in public and private sectors.”

Also, the governors resolved to collaborate with individuals and corporate organisations to invest in agriculture and mining to improve the region’s economy as the NGF called for due diligence to execute the federal government’s economic sustainability plan, wherein N700 billion was earmarked to boost farming, animal husbandry, and other agro-allied businesses.

“This effort will create job opportunities and create wealth for our teeming population.”