The Northern Elders Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a national security emergency as worsening insecurity continues to spread across Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its spokesperson, Prof Abubakar Jiddere, the forum warned that the country is approaching a dangerous tipping point, stressing that urgent and decisive measures are needed to prevent a total breakdown of law and order.
The group said Nigerians are increasingly living in fear as kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, and other criminal groups continue to operate across several parts of the country with growing boldness.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution, which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” the NEF questioned why many citizens are now forced to fend for themselves against violent attacks.
According to the forum, insecurity has spread across several states, including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Borno, Oyo, Edo, Enugu, and Imo, where communities reportedly face frequent attacks, abductions, and displacement.
The group noted that kidnapping-for-ransom has evolved into a “sophisticated criminal economy” fueled by weak law enforcement, porous borders, illegal arms proliferation, and poor intelligence coordination.
The NEF warned that the persistent violence is crippling food production and local economies, as many farmers abandon their farmlands while businesses struggle to operate under constant threats. It added that families are being pushed deeper into poverty through ransom payments and displacement.
The forum also expressed concern over what it described as inadequate security responses in affected communities, including delayed interventions during attacks and limited prosecution of suspects linked to violent crimes.
Among its demands, the NEF urged the Federal Government to strengthen intelligence sharing among security agencies, intensify operations against banditry and kidnapping networks, investigate illegal mining activities linked to insecurity, and prosecute sponsors and financiers of criminal groups regardless of their status or affiliations.
The group further called for increased protection for farming communities, schools, transport routes, and vulnerable rural populations, while demanding greater transparency in security spending and operations.
Describing insecurity as a national crisis rather than a regional or political issue, the forum warned that public trust in government could continue to erode if decisive action is not taken.
“The time for assurances has passed. The time for measurable action is now,” the statement said.
