Nigeria’s escalating insecurity crisis has deepened calls for decisive action, as regional and political groups accuse the Federal Government of failing to protect citizens against kidnapper s, bandits and organised criminal networks.
Regional interventions intensified yesterday as the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) demanded a national security emergency, Afenifere urged South-West communities to prepare for self-defence against bandits, and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) issued President Bola Tinubu a 14-day ultimatum over worsening kidnappings.
This came as security experts and retired security chiefs backed the establishment of state police, urging the Senate to accelerate constitutional and legislative reforms needed for its implementation amid worsening insecurity across the country.
The experts, however, cautioned against both unnecessary delays and hasty implementation, stressing the need for a carefully coordinated framework capable of addressing constitutional, operational and funding concerns.
Recall that Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, recently expressed optimism that the State Police bill could be passed into law this week.
Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over worsening insecurity across the country, declaring that Nigeria is “bleeding” under escalating violence, kidnappings and banditry.
The forum called on the Federal Government to immediately declare a national security emergency and implement extraordinary measures to reverse the situation.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Prof Abubakar Jika Jiddere, NEF said the alarming deterioration of security across the country had reached a level requiring urgent and decisive action.
Jiddere accused authorities of failing in their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property, warning that public confidence in government was rapidly eroding as violence spreads across the nation.
The forum cited Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of citizens shall be the primary purpose of government, arguing that persistent attacks on communities, mass abductions and killings across the country raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of current security measures.
According to the forum, millions of Nigerians remain exposed to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
Jiddere said: “Today, Nigerians are compelled to ask a painful but legitimate question: if the protection of lives and property is the foremost duty of the government, why are citizens increasingly left to fend for themselves against kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, violent extremists, and organised criminal gangs?
“Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has confronted numerous security threats, including the Civil War , Maitatsine uprisings, armed militancy in the Niger Delta, sectarian violence, separatist agitations, cattle rustling, armed robbery, and the Boko Haram insurgency.
“Yet never in recent history has the country witnessed the simultaneous spread of multiple forms of insecurity across virtually every region as is being experienced today. From the forests of Zamfara and Katsina to the highways of Kaduna and Niger; from communities in Plateau and Benue to parts of Kogi, Kwara, Borno, Oyo, Edo, Enugu, Imo and beyond, violence has become a recurring feature of daily life.
“Communities are attacked, citizens are abducted, farmers are displaced from their lands, travellers are ambushed on major highways, and businesses are forced to operate under conditions of uncertainty and fear.
“Independent security reports over the years have consistently documented thousands of deaths, abductions, and displacements arising from violent criminal activities. While governments may differ in their approaches and achievements, the reality confronting Nigerians today is that insecurity remains one of the gravest threats to national stability, economic growth, and social cohesion.
“The Forum is particularly disturbed by the growing normalisation of mass abductions and kidnapping-for-ransom. What began as isolated criminal incidents has evolved into a sophisticated criminal economy that exploits weak enforcement, porous borders, illegal arms proliferation , and inadequate intelligence coordination.
“In many affected communities, criminal groups appear capable of operating for extended periods with little resistance, undermining public confidence in the capacity of the state to guarantee security.
“Farmers are abandoning farmlands. Food production is declining. Rural economies are collapsing. Investors are losing confidence . Children are deprived of education. Families are being pushed into poverty by ransom payments and displacement. Entire communities now live under the constant threat of attack. No serious nation can accept such a situation as normal.”
The forum also criticised what it described as inadequate security presence in many troubled…
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