Northern elders under the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on Wednesday called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the region, citing the prolonged insecurity that has devastated socio-economic life and development.
In a communique signed by NEF Spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the group expressed deep concern over the surge in violent attacks, abductions, and killings across northern states.
They warned that failure to act could trigger self-help measures, anarchy, and pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s stability and regional peace.
The forum stressed that inaction by the federal government could undermine national cohesion, democratic sustainability, political stability, and regional peace.
They urged the Tinubu administration to act without delay, in line with constitutional provisions and international obligations to protect lives and property.
Jiddere highlighted recent incidents, including the August 19 attack on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau Village, where gunmen killed about 27 worshippers, injured several others, and displaced hundreds.
He also cited the execution of 35 abductees in Zamfara State despite ransom payments, and deadly attacks in Kaduna State’s Kauru and Kudan Local Government Areas that left eight people dead and eight injured.
He called for urgent government action to acknowledge the scale of the crisis, deploy adequately trained and equipped security forces, provide humanitarian assistance to victims, strengthen border control, and engage international partners for technical and humanitarian support.
Jiddere criticised the state security architecture, describing it as overstretched, inadequate, and in some cases complicit through inaction, leaving citizens vulnerable and eroding public trust in government institutions.
He noted that Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees the right to life, warning that the persistent atrocities in Northern Nigeria constitute serious breaches that may amount to crimes against humanity under international law.
The NEF pledged to continue monitoring developments and engaging stakeholders nationally and internationally to ensure urgent relief for affected communities in the north.
