A coalition of ethnic leaders from across Northern Nigeria has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the worsening insecurity in the region is unacceptable, urging him to overhaul the nation’s security architecture, reshuffle his cabinet, and push for deeper consolidation of ongoing reforms.
In a communiqué issued after their meeting on Sunday in Abuja, the leaders lamented that Northern communities continue to suffer daily attacks from bandits, terrorists, and other criminal groups who operate with impunity. They warned that kidnapping for ransom has grown into a thriving industry, while farmers are unable to access their farms and major highways have become unsafe.
Convener of the meeting, Dr. Dominic Alancha, said the situation has reached a breaking point.
> “This is unacceptable. Despite the vast resources allocated to them, the current Service Chiefs have failed to conceive and execute effective strategies to tackle insecurity. Their tenure has only been marked by rising attacks and growing despair among our people,” Alancha stated.
The Northern Ethnic National Forum, therefore, demanded:
The immediate dismissal and replacement of all Service Chiefs with “fresh, innovative military leaders” who would be given a clear mandate and timeline for measurable results.
A state of emergency on security across the North — not to militarize the region, but to launch a coordinated, multi-agency operation to dismantle terrorist networks and restore lasting peace.
The forum noted that the region is grappling with multiple crises — from Boko Haram insurgency in the North East to banditry in the North West and North Central, rising out-of-school children, and a worsening food crisis.
Calling on Tinubu to act decisively, the leaders stressed that Nigerians are increasingly disillusioned.
> “The economic hardship, the insecurity, and the social anxiety have gone far beyond rhetoric. People feel a profound disconnect between their daily realities and the assurances from Abuja,” the communiqué read
