The Northern Elders Forum has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in northern Nigeria.
It cited worsening insecurity, mass killings, and declining public confidence in security agencies.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has urged President Bola Tinubu to quickly declare a state of emergency in northern Nigeria, pointing to rising insecurity and reminding the government of its duty under the constitution and international law to protect citizens.
In a communiqué issued by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the forum expressed alarm over the rising wave of killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks in the region. It warned that failure to act decisively could threaten Nigeria’s overall stability and weaken peace across the wider region.
The statement lamented that security agencies are overstretched, poorly equipped, and in some cases accused of negligence, leaving ordinary citizens exposed and steadily losing confidence in state institutions.
NEF referenced several recent tragedies, including the August 19 massacre at a mosque in Unguwan Mantau Village, where gunmen stormed morning prayers and killed at least 27 worshippers, injuring many others and displacing hundreds.
It also condemned the killing of 35 kidnap victims in Zamfara State, despite ransom payments made for their release, and drew attention to fresh attacks in Kaduna’s Kauru and Kudan Local Government Areas, which claimed eight lives and left several injured.
According to the forum, these incidents highlight a recurring cycle of organized violence and banditry that has devastated northern communities for years. It stressed that thousands of people have been killed, large populations displaced, and farming activities disrupted, worsening food insecurity while inflicting severe psychological and social trauma.
The forum urged the federal government to act with urgency, arguing that the survival of northern communities and by extension Nigeria’s unity depends on a robust and comprehensive response to the crisis.
