Nigeria’s growing insecurity has turned into a “state of war,” according to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), which is urging the federal government to immediately reorganize national priorities and handle security as the nation’s most critical problem.
This stance was expressed in a statement signed by ACF Board of Trustees Chairman Bashir M. Dalhatu at the conclusion of the organization’s 38th meeting on Wednesday.
Prominent northern figures, including former top government officials, diplomats, and security chiefs, attended the meeting and discussed the ongoing bloodshed throughout the nation, especially in the north.
The forum observed that Nigeria’s security issues have progressed from isolated instances of banditry, insurgency, and intercommunal conflicts to pervasive violence endangering the country’s stability.
The ACF’s decision was made in response to the nation’s recent spate of terrorist assaults. During the Easter season, a series of attacks in the states of Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, and Benue resulted in the deaths of sixteen people, including five police officers, and the displacement of numerous others.
Current assaults
On March 17, simultaneous explosions at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) entrance, the Monday Market Roundabout, and the Post Office in Maiduguri, Borno State, resulted in the deaths of at least 25 persons.
According to Daily Trust, Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have killed troops and civilians in a string of brutal, well-planned strikes on military installations around Borno State in recent weeks.
Major U. I. Mairiga, commander of the Mayenti base; Lt. Col. Umar Faruq, commander of Kukawa base and the 101 Brigade; Lt. Col. S.I. Iliyasu, commanding officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga; Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh; and Col. I.A. Mohammed, commanding officer of the 242 Battalion, Monguno.
In high-risk areas like the Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Mandara Mountains, and the Lake Chad Basin, the military has also stepped up operations. Operations on several fronts had resulted in the destruction of several significant terrorist camps and the deaths of numerous insurgent commanders and fighters.
The ACF’s communiqué states that farmer-herder disputes, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, and insurgency in the North-East have all combined to produce a hazardous scenario that calls for immediate and decisive response.
The forum declared that “the scale, persistence, and human cost of the violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities,” adding that the crisis should now be viewed as the primary national emergency rather than as one of several governance challenges.
Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced in states including Borno, Plateau, Niger, and Kwara, among others, according to the ACF, which raised alarm over the human cost of the conflict. It further stated that senior officers and other members of the military forces are among the casualties.
The panel bemoaned the disintegration of families, the destruction of livelihoods, and the anguish experienced by entire communities, cautioning that the long-term societal repercussions could be catastrophic.
The economic effects of the insecurity were further emphasized, especially with regard to agriculture, which continues to be the mainstay of the northern economy.
The group claims that significant disruptions to farming operations have led to food shortages, inflation, and the collapse of rural economies.
Nigeria’s economy is currently being directly threatened by insecurity. The cost of fixing the issue increases with its duration, according to the communiqué.
The ACF emphasized that shifting national resources to combat insecurity should be viewed as a vital step toward attaining sustainable growth rather than as a setback to development.
The forum encouraged the government to temporarily halt or reduce spending on non-essential projects and direct resources toward resolving the security problem, calling for what it called a “war-time approach.”
The organization emphasized that national security must come before other developmental goals, saying, “Extraordinary threats require extraordinary measures.”
The panel cautioned that Nigeria is at a crossroads and that its future and unity are seriously threatened by the growing violence.
It called on the government to mobilize all available resources and show strong leadership in addressing the problem in an urgent and clear manner.
The communiqué came to the conclusion that significant national development would not be possible until Nigerians could live, travel, and work without fear, particularly in rural areas.
ACF ex-scribe calls for social reforms and strong action.
Elder Anthony Sani, the former secretary general of the ACF, also encouraged the government to implement a comprehensive plan that incorporates both long-term socioeconomic solutions and severe punitive measures.
Sani emphasized that security measures need to go beyond military reactions in an interview with Daily Trust on Wednesday.
He contends that the government must greatly bolster punitive measures by hiring more security guards and making sure they have the necessary training, tools, and motivation to protect people and property.
“The fight against insecurity must be waged on two fronts: through decisive security actions and deliberate policies that improve education, reduce poverty, and create employment opportunities,” Sani said, adding that only a balanced and sustained approach can effectively curb the menace and restore lasting peace in the region. However, he cautioned that enforcement alone would not resolve the crisis, stressing the urgent need to confront the root causes fueling insecurity, particularly poverty, ignorance, and unemployment.
Afenifere expresses concern about growing fear
Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organization, has also voiced alarm over the increasing number of terror incidents occurring throughout the nation.
The organization urged the governors of the six South West states to act more forcefully to stop the escalating insecurity and denounced the recent wave of violence in Yorubaland.
Afenifere cautioned that immediate action must be taken to stop what it called a “genocidal agenda” and described the situation as frightening following its caucus meeting at Chief Reuben Fasoranti’s home.
In a statement, the organization reaffirmed its demand that governors in the South West implement resolutions from earlier security summits.
Additionally, it called on them to work together with their counterparts in the states of Kwara and Kogi, pointing out that bandits regularly use the woodland corridors connecting these regions to launch attacks.
The statement, which was signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, also demanded that the military and other security services be strengthened by using both kinetic and non-kinetic tactics, better equipment, and increased morale.
The need for security authorities to look inward was emphasized by Afenifere, who claimed that there were internal collaborators supporting criminal elements.
The group claims that some members of the local community are complicit by supporting terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits.
The group called for a united front to combat the threat and offered its sympathies to victims of terrorism in Yorubaland and other parts of Nigeria.
When contacted last night, Anthony Placid, the Nigeria Police Force’s spokesperson, stated that the Force had not received enough information about the ACF’s resolution and pledged to respond appropriately.
Samaila Uba, a Major-General and Director of Defense Information, was unable for comment due to calls to his cell phone. As of the time this report was filed, he had not yet replied to any texts or WhatsApp messages. Additionally, Daily Trust contacted Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, to inquire about the government’s response to the ACF’s request. The authorities will react at the proper moment, he said.
Ex-AIG demands sufficient financing
Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Adisa Bolanta addressed the matter and demanded that a state of emergency be declared due to insecurity. He issued a warning, saying that conditions in some areas of the nation have become untenable.
“The government ought to declare a state of emergency due to insecurity, particularly in certain states where banditry, Boko Haram activities, and other violent crimes are a persistent concern. The citizens are becoming too uneasy,” he stated.
Beyond hyperbole, the retired police chief emphasized that the government must allocate significant funds and initiate a planned reorganization of the police.
Additionally, the former AIG criticized the growth of specialized groups, pointing out that they have not resulted in better security outcomes.
Ex-AIG demands sufficient financing
Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Adisa Bolanta addressed the matter and demanded that a state of emergency be declared due to insecurity. He issued a warning, saying that conditions in some areas of the nation have become untenable.
“The government ought to declare a state of emergency due to insecurity, particularly in certain states where banditry, Boko Haram activities, and other violent crimes are a persistent concern. The citizens are becoming too uneasy,” he stated.
Beyond hyperbole, the retired police chief emphasized that the government must allocate significant funds and initiate a planned reorganization of the police.
Additionally, the former AIG criticized the growth of specialized groups, pointing out that they have not resulted in better security outcomes.
“The fundamental problems have not really been addressed by all these outfits that are being made here and there. Rather of creating more structures, the current system needs to be properly reformed to make it more effective. “You will see a significant improvement in policing outcomes if the divisions are properly guided and have adequate resources,” he continued.
Bolanta emphasized the necessity of reviving the Police Mobile Force (MPF) in relation to tactical operations. He emphasized that effectiveness relied on empowering local commanders, pointed to systemic problems influencing resource usage, and cautioned against the ongoing concentration of logistics at higher levels.
“I have thirty-five years of police service, the last ten of which I spent at the administrative level, so I am familiar with how the system operates. He clarified that one of the main issues is that resources frequently do not reach the individuals who genuinely require them for operations.
“The headquarters shouldn’t be the center of funding, welfare, equipment, and logistics. The DPOs in charge of stations in both rural and urban regions must receive them. Police visibility will start to appear everywhere once they have sufficient resources, and this visibility alone acts as a powerful disincentive to criminal activity. Where there is no obvious security presence, criminals flourish.
Bolanta called for increased public involvement in security initiatives and emphasized that the government must provide the military with sufficient funding because the problems “we are facing require a coordinated approach.”
“Neither the military nor the police can function in a vacuum. He continued, “There must be clear operational roles, appropriate funding, and synergy.”
About The Author
