The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Wednesday urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Northern Nigeria, citing the extraordinary scale of insecurity and the government’s constitutional and international obligations to safeguard lives and property.

The forum lamented that the state security architecture remains inadequate, overstretched, and in some cases complicit through inaction and silence, leaving citizens vulnerable and eroding public trust in government institutions.

In a communiqué signed by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the forum expressed grave concern over the spate of violent attacks, abductions, and killings across the region, warning that continued inaction could undermine Nigeria’s stability and threaten regional peace.

The NEF recalled the August 19 attack on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau village, where armed assailants killed at least 27 worshippers during early morning prayers, leaving several injured and displacing hundreds.

It also condemned the execution of 35 abductees in Zamfara State despite ransom payments, as well as two separate attacks in Kaduna State’s Kauru and Kudan LGAs, which left eight dead and eight others severely injured.

Jiddere said: “These incidents are not isolated cases, rather they are part of a persistent pattern of organised criminal violence and banditry that have claimed thousands of lives, displaced hundreds of thousands of citizens, undermined food security, crippled economic activity, and inflicted deep psychological and social trauma on individuals and several communities.

“The NEF observes with deep regret that the state security architecture remains inadequate, overstretched, and in some cases complicit through inaction and silence, leaving citizens vulnerable and helpless while eroding public trust in government institutions.”

Citing the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, he said: “Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states that the inherent right to life shall be protected by law, and no one shall arbitrarily be deprived of life.

“The recurring atrocities in Northern Nigeria constitute serious breaches of these obligations, and in their scale and persistence, will amount to crimes against humanity under international law and humanitarian cases.”

NEF Demands and Recommendations

The forum urged the Federal Government to “declare a State of Emergency in Northern Nigeria, acknowledging the extraordinary scale of the crisis.

“Deploying adequately trained, armed, and equipped security forces with clear rules of engagement to protect civilian populations and secure international border regions.

“Provide adequate compensation, rehabilitation, and humanitarian assistance to victims, including displaced persons, in line with international humanitarian standards.

“Strengthening border control and regional cooperation with neighbouring states under ECOWAS and the African Union protocols, to stem cross-border incursions by armed criminal groups.

“Engaging international partners, including the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN), for technical and humanitarian support.”

The NEF emphasised that continued inaction or insufficient responses to all these security challenges will not only exacerbate human suffering but also jeopardise national cohesion, democratic sustainability, stability of the polity, and regional peace.

NEF called on the Tinubu administration to act “immediately, decisively, and transparently, in full alignment with Nigeria’s domestic and international obligations.”

The forum pledged to continue monitoring developments while engaging with stakeholders both nationally and internationally to ensure urgent relief for the affected Northern communities. (The Guardian)

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