The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu, has expressed grave concern over the worsening insecurity in Northern Nigeria, warning that it poses a serious threat to the region’s survival.
Alhaji Dalhatu issued this caution during a visit to Maiduguri, where he led a delegation to sympathize with the people of Borno State following the recent flood disaster in the city.
He emphasized that the North is facing severe challenges across multiple fronts, including insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, and other social issues in the North Central region.
“Our situation is further worsened by insurgency and banditry that prevent our people from accessing their farms. Many farmers can no longer cultivate the food we eat; we have millions of out-of-school children, and social issues like begging and the Almajiri system have compounded the problem. When you put all these together, it becomes clear that we are in a very dire situation,” he stated.
He warned that if urgent action is not taken, the situation could worsen and potentially threaten the very existence of Northerners. “Ten years ago, there wasn’t a single bandit in the North West. Today, banditry is present in most states in the region.”
Alhaji Dalhatu expressed fears about the future, saying, “We are frightened by the possibility that in the next five years, the situation could grow out of control. Unless serious, urgent, and decisive actions are taken to address these challenges, our survival as a people may be at risk.”
He further criticized the efforts made over the past decade, noting that they had failed to curb insurgency but had instead worsened the situation.
“So far, we’ve recognized the dangers we face, and the ACF has gathered experienced and knowledgeable people to analyze the situation. Their findings will be presented to the 19 northern governors, who will in turn present them to the federal government for immediate action,” he said.
Dalhatu remained hopeful that the current efforts would yield more effective results. “You can rest assured that, Insha Allah, the actions taken this time will be far more effective, and the right attitudes will be instilled. Hopefully, we will see an end to these problems,” he concluded.
