The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a national security emergency and implement urgent measures to address the worsening insecurity across the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its spokesperson, Abubakar Jiddere, the forum said the escalating wave of violence and criminality had reached a critical stage, warning that decisive action was needed to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
According to the group, millions of Nigerians now live under constant fear as communities continue to suffer attacks from kidnappers, bandits, terrorists, and other criminal elements.
“The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” the group stated, citing Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
The NEF said the growing insecurity has led many citizens to question the government’s capacity to fulfil its constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property.
The forum acknowledged that Nigeria has experienced several security challenges since independence, including the Civil War, militancy in the Niger Delta, and the Boko Haram insurgency. However, it argued that the current crisis is distinguished by the simultaneous spread of multiple threats across nearly every region of the country.
It pointed to recurring attacks in states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Borno, Oyo, Edo, Enugu, and Imo, noting that violence has become a recurring reality for many communities.
The elders expressed particular concern over the rise in kidnapping-for-ransom, describing it as an organised criminal enterprise driven by weak law enforcement, porous borders, the proliferation of illegal arms, and inadequate intelligence coordination.
According to the forum, the insecurity has forced many farmers off their lands, disrupted agricultural production, weakened rural economies, discouraged investment, and deepened poverty through ransom payments and displacement.
The group also criticised what it described as inadequate security deployment in vulnerable communities, delayed responses to attacks, and the limited prosecution of perpetrators of violent crimes.
As part of its recommendations, the NEF called for the immediate declaration of a national security emergency, stronger intelligence-sharing among security agencies, intensified operations against kidnapping and banditry networks, and greater deployment of modern surveillance technology.
The forum further urged authorities to investigate and prosecute sponsors and financiers of criminal groups, conduct comprehensive audits of illegal mining activities linked to insecurity, and strengthen protection for schools, farming communities, and major transportation corridors.
It also called for improved transparency and accountability in security spending and operational outcomes.
“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.
The forum warned that continued insecurity could further weaken public confidence in government institutions, stressing that history would ultimately judge leaders by their ability to safeguard lives and maintain national stability.
“The time for assurances has passed. The time for measurable action is now,” the statement added.
