Insecurity: Nigeria in state of war – ACF

Insecurity: Nigeria in state of war – ACF

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has escalated into a “state of war”.

It said that the federal government must urgently reorder its priorities and treat security as the country’s most pressing emergency.

This position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 38th meeting of the ACF Board of Trustees on Wednesday in Kaduna and signed by its Chairman, Bashir M. Dalhatu.

The meeting was attended by prominent northern leaders, including former senior government officials, diplomats and security chiefs.

It deliberated extensively on the persistent violence across the country, particularly in the northern region, noting that the security situation has moved from isolated incidents of insurgency, banditry and communal clashes to widespread violence threatening national stability.

The ACF’s resolution is coming on the back of renewed terror attacks in the country which claimed the lives of many Nigerians including top military officers.

There has been wave of attacks in Borno, Kaduna, Katsina and Benue states in recent weeks.

Recent attacks

On March 17, at least 25 people were killed in simultaneous explosions at the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the Monday Market Roundabout and the Post Office in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have also carried out a series of deadly and coordinated attacks on military formations across Borno State, killing soldiers and civilians.

Senior military officers, including Major U. I. Mairiga who headed the Mayenti base; Commander of Kukawa base and the 101 Brigade, Lt-Col Umar Faruq; Commanding Officer of the 222 Battalion in Konduga, Lt-Col S.I. Iliyasu; Brigade Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah and the Commanding Officer of the 242 Battalion, Monguno, Col. I.A. Mohammed, also paid the supreme price.

The military has however responded widely with intensified operations in high-risk locations, including the Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Mandara Mountains and the Lake Chad Basin.

Scores of insurgent commanders and fighters had been killed during operations conducted across multiple fronts, with several major terrorist camps also destroyed.

According to the ACF’s communiqué, insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, as well as farmer-herder conflicts, have combined to create a dangerous situation requiring urgent and decisive action.

“The scale, persistence and human cost of the violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities,” the forum stated, adding that the crisis should no longer be treated as one of many governance issues but as the overriding national emergency.

The ACF expressed concern over the human toll of the crisis, revealing that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced in states such as Borno, Plateau, Niger and Kwara, among others. It added that the casualties also include members of the armed forces, including senior officers.

The forum lamented that families have been torn apart, livelihoods destroyed and entire communities traumatised, warning that the long-term social consequences could be devastating.

It further highlighted the economic implications of the insecurity, particularly on agriculture, which remains the backbone of the northern economy.

According to the group, farming activities have been severely disrupted, contributing to food shortages, inflation and the collapse of rural economies.

“Insecurity is now directly undermining Nigeria’s economy. The longer the crisis persists, the more expensive it becomes to fix,” the communiqué stated.

The ACF emphasised that redirecting national resources towards addressing insecurity should not be seen as a setback to development, rather a necessary step to achieving sustainable growth.

Calling for what it described as a “war-time approach,” the forum urged the government to temporarily suspend or scale down spending on non-essential projects and channel resources towards ending the security crisis.

“Extraordinary threats require extraordinary measures,” the group said, stressing that securing the nation must take precedence over other developmental initiatives.

The forum warned that Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads, with the escalating violence posing a serious threat to its unity and future.

It urged the government to act with urgency and clarity by mobilising all available resources and demonstrating strong leadership in tackling the crisis.

The communiqué concluded that until Nigerians can live, travel and work without fear, especially in rural communities, meaningful national development would remain unattainable.

Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has also expressed concern over the rising wave of terror attacks across the country.

The group condemned the spate of violence in Yorubaland and called on governors of the six South West states to take more decisive action to curb the growing insecurity.

Rising from its caucus meeting held at the residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere described the situation as alarming and warned that urgent steps must be taken to halt what it termed a “genocidal agenda.”

The organisation, in a statement, reiterated its call on South West governors to translate resolutions from previous security meetings into concrete action.

It also urged them to collaborate with their counterparts in Kwara and Kogi states, noting that the forest corridors linking these areas are frequently exploited by bandits to launch attacks.

The statement, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, further called for the strengthening of the military and other security agencies through improved equipment, enhanced morale and a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies.

Afenifere stressed the need for security agencies to look inward, alleging the presence of internal collaborators aiding criminal elements.

According to the group, some individuals within local communities are complicit by providing support to kidnappers, bandits and terrorists.

The organisation also extended its condolences to victims of terrorism in Yorubaland and other parts of Nigeria, urging a united front to tackle the menace.