Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, on Tuesday described those linking him with killings in Southern part of the state as mischief makers.

El-Rufai said he is neither a religious bigot nor ethnic jingoist who will organise crisis in his state.

This came just as the governor called for more funding for the security agencies in the yet to be passed 2017 budget, to enable them appropriately tackle internal security challenges.

El-Rufai spoke when he received the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Southern Kaduna Crisis at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House on Tuesday.

Briefing the Senate Committee led by former Governor of Kano State, Kabir Gaya, the governor said his government inherited three main problems of cattle rustling, urban gang called “Shara Suka” and communal killings.
He said, “When we came in we met three main problems on ground, cattle rustling, urban gang and communal killings.

“As the chief security officer of the state, we really do not have control over the security agencies, we have committed so much in funding security agencies in the state. We have bought bullet proof vest and vans for security agencies. We have committed N4 billion in support of security agencies in the state.

“The state government will continue to support the security agencies in the state even though it is the responsibility of the federal government.”

He, however, called for additional support for security agencies in the 2017 budget, saying, “there is need for training and retraining of security personnel and the purchase of additional security equipment.”

On the Southern Kaduna killings, the Governor assured the Senate that he would deploy resources to facilitate the take-off of the proposed military garrison in the area.