Northern govs demand tougher action on insecurity, say routine responses failing

Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, has declared that the worsening security crisis across Northern Nigeria has reached a critical stage where silence, hesitation and routine government responses are no longer acceptable.

Yahaya, who is also the Governor of Gombe State, made the remarks on Monday while addressing the Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Dutse, Jigawa State.

Speaking on the theme, “Peace, Unity and Development of Northern Nigeria,” the forum chairman described insecurity as the greatest threat to the region’s survival, warning that persistent banditry, insurgency, farmer-herder clashes and communal conflicts are steadily eroding social cohesion and economic progress.

According to him, peace, unity and development are inseparable, stressing that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of fear and violence.

He lamented that entire communities had been displaced by criminal attacks, while farmers had abandoned their farmlands, markets had collapsed, schools had shut down and millions of residents live in constant fear.

“The security situation in the North has reached a point where silence, hesitation and routine responses are no longer acceptable,” Yahaya said.

He called for a fundamental shift in the approach to tackling insecurity, insisting that repeated meetings and communiqués without concrete implementation have failed to address the growing threats confronting the region.

“The time has come for us to act with the seriousness this situation demands. Enough of meetings that do not produce results. Enough of communiqués that are not implemented. Enough of promises that are not followed by action. The old methods are clearly not working”, he stated.

Yahaya also described the gathering as taking place at a defining moment in Northern Nigeria’s history, saying the region has never faced security challenges as grave and widespread as those currently threatening its stability.

He extended condolences to the government and people of Katsina State over the killing of retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar by bandits, describing the incident as evidence that insecurity spares no one regardless of status or profession.

According to him, the tragedy underscores the need for collective action, warning that everyone remains vulnerable until lasting security is achieved across the region.

Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the meeting, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving security nationwide.

Idris commended traditional rulers for their contributions to peace-building and national development, assuring them of continued federal support in efforts to restore peace and stability across the Country.

He also described the death of retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar as a painful national loss and urged Nigerians to work together in confronting the country’s security challenges.