The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in northern Nigeria, citing a deepening security crisis that has left communities vulnerable and under constant attack.
In a strongly worded statement issued by NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the forum condemned the recent killing of over 20 soldiers in Bangi, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, describing it as a stark indicator of complete security failure.
“The North is drowning in blood. Its people have been abandoned while security forces are either unable to respond or entirely absent,” Jiddere said. “We will no longer accept hollow condolences, tired speeches, or empty statements. Nigerians demand visible, decisive, and accountable action now.”
NEF characterized the violence as far more than isolated acts of insecurity, calling it “a relentless campaign of terror, mass murder, and outright state failure.” Communities are being destroyed, homes burned, and lives lost while perpetrators operate with impunity.
Jiddere described the ambush on soldiers as a “coordinated attack by heavily armed terrorists” and declared it a “direct act of war against the Nigerian state.”
“This was not merely an attack—it was a declaration of war. And right now, the state is losing,” he added.
The forum accused the federal government of failing its constitutional duty to safeguard lives and property, warning that the patience of northern communities has worn thin.
“The Forum demands the immediate declaration of a state of emergency across Northern Nigeria,” the statement read. “This must be backed by a unified and aggressive military and intelligence operation aimed at tracking down and eliminating every terrorist group, regardless of who shelters them or where they operate.”
“The blood of Northern Nigerians is not cheap. Our soldiers are not cannon fodder. Our citizens cannot continue to die in silence while government looks on passively.”
NEF issued a stern warning: continued federal inaction could trigger widespread resistance.
“The patience of our people has ended. Any government that cannot or will not protect its citizens has lost its legitimacy. Enough is enough. We will not remain silent. The North will not bow to terror.”
