Insecurity: Northern governors, monarchs demand state police; warn region facing ‘existential threat’

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), in collaboration with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, has warned that the region may lose its future to escalating terrorism and deepening poverty unless urgent constitutional changes—specifically the establishment of State Police—are implemented.

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The leaders gave the warning on Monday at an emergency joint meeting held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.

The high-level parley, which convened the 19 governors, the traditional rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, and security chiefs, was described as a definitive push to harmonise responses to the banditry and social decay bedevilling the region.

‘Grim Reality’

Addressing the forum, the Chairman of the NSGF and Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, painted a sobering picture of the current state of the North. He noted that the region is currently battling a “grim reality of insecurity and poverty” that threatens to destroy its social fabric.

Mr Yahaya warned that history would not judge the current crop of leaders by the infrastructure they built, but by their ability to secure the region for the next generation.

“We are confronted with the grim reality of insecurity and poverty that seeks to undermine our very existence,” Governor Yahaya said. “Future generations will judge us not by the number of projects we commission, but by whether we are able to bequeath to them a Northern Nigeria they can truly call home.”

He emphasised that the current wave of criminality “spares no one—poor or rich, Muslim or Christian,” and urged political actors to cease “partisan bickering” to save the region from collapse.

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Renewed Clamour for State Police

At the top of the agenda was the constitutional debate regarding decentralised policing. Reaffirming their position from the 10 May communiqué, the northern governors insisted that the federal police structure is currently overwhelmed.

The Forum described State Police as a “critical and effective mechanism” needed to address the unique terrain and security challenges of the North. They urged the National Assembly to expedite the necessary constitutional amendments to give states the power to secure their jurisdictions.

Beyond the Gun: Addressing Root Causes

While acknowledging the need for kinetic military action, the governors admitted that deep-seated socio-economic failures fuel the crisis.

Governor Yahaya noted that the insecurity is driven by underdevelopment, mass illiteracy, poor resource management, and the abandonment of millions of Almajiri and out-of-school children.

He also noted the adverse effects of climate change on the North’s agrarian economy.

The Forum called on traditional rulers to act as “stabilisers” in their communities and urged religious leaders to preach tolerance, warning against the use of incendiary rhetoric that could inflame ethnic or religious tensions.

Support for Federal Efforts

Despite the gloomy outlook, the Forum commended President Bola Tinubu for his administration’s commitment to Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

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Governor Yahaya specifically praised the President’s efforts regarding the rescue of abducted schoolchildren. He extended the Forum’s condolences to the families of pupils recently abducted in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Kano, Niger, and Sokoto states, as well as victims of recent Boko Haram insurgencies in Borno and Yobe.

“Attacks on education are an assault on the bedrock of our children’s future and the region’s destiny,” Mr Yahaya stated.

A United Front

The meeting, hosted by Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, concluded with a joint pledge to work closely with the Federal Government.

Although a detailed technical communiqué is expected, the leaders resolved to adopt a coordinated regional strategy, rejecting divisive narratives and focusing on a holistic approach that combines military force with judicial efficiency and social welfare reforms.