The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Northern Nigeria following the unprecedented scale of insecurity and the government’s constitutional duty to safeguard lives.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by its spokesman, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the forum condemned what it called the growing wave of violent attacks, kidnappings, and killings in the region. It warned that further failure by the government to act could destabilise Nigeria and compromise peace in the region.
Recalling the August 19 attack on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau Village which claimed no less than 27 worshippers, the forum also condemned the murder of 35 kidnap victims in Zamfara despite payment of ransom, and attacks in Kaduna State’s Kauru and Kudan LGAs that left eight dead.
“These are not one-off attacks; they form a consistent pattern of organised criminal violence and banditry that have killed thousands of people, displaced communities, destroyed economic life, and inflicted deep social trauma,” Jiddere said.
NEF highlighted Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations, like the ICCPR, which guarantee the right to life. NEF also pointed out that Nigeria’s security agencies are underfunded, overstretched, and compromised in certain cases, generating loss of public trust.
The forum demanded a state of emergency in the North, deployment of adequately trained and equipped forces, and direct humanitarian relief to victims. It also called for tightened border controls, regional collaboration under ECOWAS and the AU, and technical support from international partners.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa emphasized that while military force is essential in combating insurgency, it cannot ensure lasting peace on its own. They highlighted the need for governance reforms, socio-economic development, and winning public trust.
The United Nations also warned that Africa, and particularly West Africa and the Sahel, have taken the place of the Middle East as the global terrorism hotbed. Five of the ten most terrorized countries are in the region, with Burkina Faso topping the world, the 2025 Global Terrorism Index stated.
UN Special Representative Leonardo Simão alerted that terrorism in Africa is becoming more sophisticated, displacing citizens, shutting down schools, and fuelling fragility. He urged comprehensive approaches that combine military response with dialogue, social services, and youth empowerment.
Regional organisations, including ECOWAS, pledged renewed efforts to operationalise a regional counter-terrorism force while Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) reported 775 convictions for terrorism and ongoing rehabilitation programs.
NEF concluded by calling the government to act “immediately, decisively, and transparently” to halt the rising insecurity in the North and prevent additional national instability.
