Northern Governors Security Meeting
Fresh details have emerged from the Monday, December 1 meeting between the nineteen northern governors and first-class emirs and chiefs under the Northern Traditional Rulers Council. The meeting, held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna State, focused primarily on the many challenges confronting the region, especially the worsening insecurity.
Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, warned during the session that the rising wave of insecurity in the North has evolved from a localised issue into a full-blown national threat.
Calling for urgent and far-reaching reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture, Yahaya emphasised that establishing state police has become one of the most realistic and effective measures for tackling the security crisis. According to him, “putting up the state police remains a very critical and effective mechanism to address present security challenges facing the country.”
He stressed that the current centralised policing system is no longer adequate for a region battling banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, communal clashes, and other violent crimes that have displaced thousands and crippled economic development.
Governor Yahaya traced the escalation of insecurity to a mix of socio-economic and environmental problems. He identified underdevelopment, illiteracy, weak infrastructure, high unemployment, environmental degradation, and poor resource management as major factors fuelling the violence across the North.
He urged leaders of the region to “make every effort to reverse the trend,” warning that failure to address the root causes of insecurity would continue to impede growth and stability.
Yahaya also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as leadership interventions that recently facilitated the rescue of kidnapped victims in parts of the North. He appealed to the Federal Government to sustain its efforts until all abducted persons are safely reunited with their families.
Reaffirming the collective resolve of Northern governors, Yahaya said they remain committed to working closely with the Federal Government, security agencies, and local authorities to secure lives and property, including school environments.
Host governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State noted that Northern governors have been developing regional strategies aimed at promoting stability, protecting communities, and improving governance. He disclosed that a peer-review mechanism is already in place among the governors to strengthen accountability and enhance service delivery.
Sani also highlighted the crucial role of traditional institutions in fostering communal harmony, improving early warning systems, and guiding government decisions. He urged emirs and chiefs to “do even more” in mobilising local communities against criminality.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, reaffirmed the commitment of traditional rulers to support the governors in restoring peace across the region.
He stressed that good governance must remain a top priority in the region, urging governors to ensure effective and people-centred service delivery.