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Northern Forum Urges Action Against Insecurity, Informants

by admin on | 2026-06-18 13:48:12

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Northern Forum Urges Action Against Insecurity, Informants

By Ahmad Sirajo Makama, Abuja

The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF) has urged leaders and residents in the northern region to assume a more proactive stance in addressing insecurity by identifying and reporting informants and collaborators who facilitate criminal activities.

The Forum also advocated the decentralisation of security strategies to strengthen community participation in protecting lives and property.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the Chairman of the Forum, Abdullahi Yelwa, commended the sacrifices of military personnel and intelligence officers who continue to risk their lives in the fight against insecurity.

Yelwa said, “Recent incidents, including the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State and the death of Major General Abubakar Rabe in captivity, have once again brought national attention to the security crisis’’.

He lamented that persistent attacks by terrorists and bandits have left many communities devastated, with thousands displaced and forced to seek refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. 

He noted that media practitioners in the North witness these horrors daily, often serving as first responders to attacks and documenting the suffering of victims.

The ABMPF recalled that during its security summit held in Kebbi State in November 2025, it raised concerns over the deteriorating security situation.

According to the Forum, the crisis has intensified in 2026, with coordinated attacks on military formations and deadly assaults across the North-East, North-Central and North-West zones.

The Forum said, “existing institutional, material and strategic interventions have failed to stem the rising tide of violence. It therefore urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security in the North, backed by clearly defined tactical and strategic measures with specific timelines for restoring peace.”

While applauding the creation of state police and forest guards as complementary measures, the Forum stressed that only the massive deployment of conventional military forces could effectively flush out criminals from their forest hideouts and create a conducive environment for the new security structures to operate.

The Forum expressed concern over the combined impact of insecurity, climate change and government policies on agriculture, noting that studies indicate a 25 to 50 per cent decline in crop yields across the region. It also highlighted the education crisis, stating that between 80 and 90 per cent of out-of-school children in Nigeria are from the North, while about 65 per cent of the country’s multidimensionally poor population resides in the region.

On politics, the ABMPF said, “the North’s diversity had historically been a source of strength and unity but lamented that contemporary politics had become dominated by self-interest and divisive tendencies”.

It urged voters to reject politicians who exploit ethnic and religious differences for personal gain.

The Forum further decried the growing poverty and collapse of industries in the North, calling on governments and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive economic blueprint for the region. 

The Forum commended  the Benue State Government’s efforts in promoting orange processing industries and encouraged other states to invest in sectors where they possess comparative advantages to stimulate job creation and curb youth unemployment and drug abuse.

The ABMPF also urged northern governors to prioritise human capital development over infrastructure projects such as flyovers and called on the Federal Government to establish a functional railway system across the region.

Yelwa assured governments at all levels of the Forum’s readiness to partner in addressing the security, economic and developmental challenges confronting Northern Nigeria.