Leaders across Northern Nigeria have raised fresh alarm over worsening insecurity in the region, urging President Bola Tinubu to take bold and decisive actions. They called for the immediate declaration of a state of emergency in the North and the sack of the nation’s Service Chiefs.
At an emergency meeting, the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum (NENF) described the situation as a “full-blown catastrophe.” They cited persistent terrorist attacks, bandit raids, and mass abductions that have left communities in fear, pointing to the recent massacre in Darajamal, Bama Local Government, where dozens of civilians and security personnel were killed.
Dr Dominic Alancha, Convener of the Forum, said the country could no longer afford “business as usual.” He urged Tinubu to appoint fresh military leaders with new ideas, energy, and a clear operational timeline to deliver results. According to him, the current leadership has exhausted its options without producing any tangible solution to Nigeria’s deepening insecurity.
The group, however, clarified that it was not calling for blanket militarization but for a special emergency operation involving multi-agency collaboration and intensive resource deployment to dismantle terrorist networks and restore law and order.
Beyond security, the Forum also expressed concern over growing hardship across the country. While acknowledging the administration’s bold economic reforms such as fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification, it said poor implementation has worsened the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
The Forum further called for a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle, stressing that many ministers have failed to deliver on the government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda. It argued that ministerial appointments should not be seen as political rewards but as critical national assignments requiring competence, innovation, and grassroots connection.
According to the Forum, Nigeria urgently needs “doers, thinkers, and strategists” in leadership, not appointees without impact. It warned that unless drastic action is taken, insecurity and economic hardship could undermine both national stability and the survival of the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 elections.
