Arewa leaders, stakeholders demand unified action against insecurity

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Northern leaders, traditional rulers, security experts, and civil society groups convened at Arewa House, Kaduna, on Tuesday for the Arewa Awareness Summit on Unity Against Insecurity, calling for collective action, candid dialogue, and deep institutional reforms to address the region’s escalating security crisis.
Organized by the Arewa for Peace, Unity, Cohesion and Development Initiative (ACI) under the theme ‘Unity, Cooperation, and Collective Action Against Insecurity,’ the summit sought to transition the region’s security response from rhetoric to concrete action.
In his opening remarks, ACI Director General Dr. Abdullahi Idris described the gathering as a definitive stand for regional solidarity.
“We shed our political labels, tribal ties, and sectarian divides to come together as sons and daughters of the North, united by a shared heritage and destiny.
“‘One North, One Voice’ is no longer just a rallying cry; it is our essential mission for prosperity,” Dr. Idris stated.
Idris decried the devastating impacts of insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping on social cohesion and economic development, urging an end to political finger-pointing and public apathy. He highlighted that the summit aimed to produce actionable strategies for community-government engagement and to address root drivers of conflict, including economic desperation and the decline of traditional values.
He further announced that ACI would sustain the summit’s momentum through quarterly reviews and the establishment of a network of Community Peace and Youth Ambassadors.
Delivering a address as Special Guest, Hon. Dr. Muhammad Ali painted a grim picture of the region’s security landscape, pointing to terrorized communities in the Northwest, displaced populations in the Northeast, and violent land disputes in the North Central.
Dr. Ali sharply criticized the federal government and regional political elite, characterizing past interventions as reactive strategies, empty condemnations, and temporary palliatives rather than decisive, structural solutions.
He further faulted local leaders for prioritizing partisan loyalty and personal gain over public safety.
Connecting the security crisis to broader governance and political accountability as election cycles approach, Dr. Ali argued that failure to secure lives and property invalidates leadership trust, adding that no economic project or political alliance can justify the ongoing loss of life across the region.
The summit convened a broad coalition of stakeholders, including royal fathers, religious leaders, security agencies, women and youth groups, academics, and policy experts.
Participants engaged in conflict analysis sessions to draft a practical Regional Peace and Security Framework to guide immediate interventions across Northern states.
The event concluded with a joint pledge to maintain local vigilance, foster regional unity, and demand strict accountability from political leaders.