Declare National Security Emergency Now, Northern Elders Tell Tinubu, List Recommendations

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately declare a national security emergency, warning that worsening insecurity across the country is pushing Nigeria towards a dangerous situation.

The forum said urgent and extraordinary measures were needed to halt the spread of violence, kidnappings, banditry and other criminal activities threatening national stability.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the group expressed concern over what it described as the continuing collapse of security across the country.

The forum said millions of Nigerians now live in fear as criminal groups continue to attack communities, abduct citizens and operate with increasing boldness.

“The Northern Elders Forum expresses its deepest outrage and concern over the relentless collapse of security across the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement read.

“No nation can claim progress when its citizens live in fear, its communities are under siege, and criminal elements operate with increasing boldness while millions of law-abiding citizens remain vulnerable.”

The group cited Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of citizens remain the primary responsibility of government.

According to the forum, many Nigerians are increasingly questioning the government’s ability to protect lives and property amid growing attacks by kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups.

The NEF noted that Nigeria had faced several security challenges since independence, including the Civil War, the Maitatsine uprisings, militancy in the Niger Delta and the Boko Haram insurgency.

However, it argued that the country had never witnessed the simultaneous spread of multiple security threats across virtually all regions as is currently being experienced.

“From the forests of Zamfara and Katsina to the highways of Kaduna and Niger; from communities in Plateau and Benue to parts of Kogi, Kwara, Borno, Oyo, Edo, Enugu, Imo and beyond, violence has become a recurring feature of daily life,” the forum said.

“Communities are attacked, citizens are abducted, farmers are displaced from their lands, travellers are ambushed on major highways, and businesses are forced to operate under conditions of uncertainty and fear.”

The elders expressed particular concern over the growing incidence of mass abductions and kidnapping-for-ransom.

According to the group, what began as isolated criminal incidents has evolved into a sophisticated criminal enterprise fuelled by weak law enforcement, porous borders, illegal arms proliferation and poor intelligence coordination.

“In many affected communities, criminal groups appear capable of operating for extended periods with little resistance, undermining public confidence in the capacity of the state to guarantee security,” the statement added.

Naija News reports that the forum warned that insecurity was affecting food production, education, investment and rural economies, while many families were being pushed deeper into poverty by ransom payments and displacement.

The NEF criticised what it described as inadequate security presence in many affected communities and delays in responding to attacks.

The group also called for investigations into illegal mining and other economic activities that have allegedly contributed to insecurity in parts of the country.

Among its recommendations, the forum urged the Federal Government to immediately declare a national security emergency and implement far-reaching reforms.

These include strengthening intelligence coordination among security agencies, deploying modern surveillance technology, dismantling kidnapping and banditry networks and prosecuting sponsors and financiers of violent groups regardless of their status.

The group also called for enhanced protection of farming communities, schools, highways and vulnerable rural populations, as well as greater transparency in security spending.

The forum warned that public confidence in government could continue to erode if insecurity remains unchecked.

“This is not a partisan issue. This is not a regional issue. This is not an ethnic issue. This is a national emergency,” the statement said.

“Nigeria cannot prosper while its citizens live under fear. The blood of innocent Nigerians should trouble the conscience of every public office holder entrusted with the responsibility of governance.”

The forum added that history would judge leaders not by their promises but by their ability to protect lives and secure the nation.

“The time for assurances has passed. The time for measurable action is now,” it stated.