Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar fled northern traditional rulers and prominent Islamic scholars to Kaduna on Monday for a high‑level peace meeting aimed at tackling insecurity and promoting unity across the region.
Participants included members of the Northern Traditional Leaders Council, federal lawmakers, security chiefs and policy makers who discussed spiritual and community‑based strategies to confront banditry, kidnapping and other violent crime affecting northern states.
Strengthening grassroots intelligence and moral leadership
Speakers at the meeting urged clerics and traditional leaders to deepen collaboration with security agencies and state governments to strengthen grassroots intelligence and early warning systems, while using sermons and community networks to discourage violence and promote reconciliation.
Calls for socio‑economic action
9yDelegates also linked insecurity to poverty and social grievances, calling for coordinated socio‑economic interventions alongside security measures to address root causes and reduce recruitment into criminal networks.
Commitment to regular engagement
The gathering concluded with a commitment to more frequent engagement between governors, monarchs and religious leaders, and to follow up on agreed steps to harmonise regional responses to security and development challenges.
