By Abdulsamad Abdulmalik
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has reached a “state of war,” calling on the Federal Government to adopt urgent and extraordinary measures to address the crisis.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued after the 38th meeting of the ACF Board of Trustees held in Abuja and chaired by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu.
The meeting was attended by prominent northern leaders, including former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mahmud Ahmed; former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; and ex-President of the United Nations General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
In the communiqué, the forum said Nigeria’s security challenges have escalated beyond insurgency, banditry, and communal clashes, describing the situation as a full-scale crisis threatening national stability.
“The scale, persistence and human cost of violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities,” the ACF stated, adding that the situation should be treated as a national emergency.
The forum lamented that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced across states such as Borno, Plateau, Niger, and Kwara, noting that members of the armed forces have also suffered significant casualties.
It warned that the humanitarian impact has devastated communities, destroyed livelihoods, and deepened trauma, while also undermining economic activities.
According to the ACF, insecurity is severely affecting agricultural production, particularly in the North, disrupting supply chains and worsening inflationary pressures.
“Redirecting national resources toward security is not a diversion from economic development; it is a prerequisite for it,” the communiqué added.
The forum called for a “wartime approach,” including the suspension or scaling down of non-essential projects to prioritise security funding.
“Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads. The escalating security crisis threatens not just lives, but the very stability and future of the nation,” it warned.
The ACF stressed that restoring safety across the country is essential for meaningful development, urging the government to take decisive and coordinated action without delay.
