The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has raised fresh concerns over the deteriorating state of Northern Nigeria, warning that the region is being “pushed to the wall” by a combination of worsening insecurity, crippling poverty, and the devastating effects of environmental challenges. The Forum, which has long spoken for the interests of the North, delivered this warning at its 78th National Executive Committee meeting held in Kaduna, where it painted a grim picture of life in the region.
Chairman of the Forum, Chief Mamman Osuman, lamented the daily loss of lives across Northern communities. He described the situation as heartbreaking, noting that children, young adults, and the elderly are being killed in large numbers, either through acts of terrorism, criminal violence, natural disasters, or the harsh realities of environmental degradation. He stressed that the North cannot continue to remain silent while blood is spilled daily and communities are shattered beyond repair.
Osuman drew attention to the recent bloodbath in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, where gunmen stormed a mosque during the early morning prayers, shooting indiscriminately and setting the place ablaze. Worshippers were trapped inside, and although official figures put the death toll at 27, the ACF maintained that the actual number of victims could be far higher. The attack, he said, underscored the vulnerability of ordinary Nigerians who now live in fear of violence even in sacred spaces that should ordinarily serve as sanctuaries of peace.
In addition to the spate of violence, the Forum expressed deep concern over a report released by Amnesty International, which revealed that more than 10,000 people have been killed in Northern Nigeria within the first two years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. According to the ACF’s Adviser, Bashir Hayatu Gentile, the report indicated that at least 10,217 lives were lost between May 2023 and mid-2025, a figure that has yet to be challenged or disputed by the federal government. Gentile said the government’s silence in the face of such staggering numbers was troubling and could only be interpreted as an admission of failure to protect citizens.
Beyond the violence, the Forum said Northern Nigeria is also being battered by extreme poverty and environmental crises, including desertification, flooding, and the loss of arable land. These factors, according to the Forum, are fueling insecurity by pushing desperate youths into crime while displacing entire communities who are left with no livelihoods. The combined effect, it warned, is the creation of a dangerous cycle where poverty and environmental challenges feed into insecurity, making solutions even more complex.
The ACF urged the federal government to urgently overhaul the country’s security architecture and to adopt a holistic approach that addresses not only the violence but also the underlying social and economic conditions that make the North a breeding ground for unrest. The Forum stressed that military operations alone would not be sufficient to address the crisis unless they are backed by economic empowerment programmes, environmental protection measures, and social policies aimed at reducing the inequality and desperation that drive many into the arms of criminal networks.
“The North is at a tipping point. The region is bleeding, and our people can no longer endure endless promises and half-hearted measures. It is time for the federal government to take decisive action to restore peace and rebuild confidence in governance,” Osuman declared.
The ACF’s statement comes at a time of mounting criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over its handling of security nationwide. For many Northerners, the government’s perceived silence on damning casualty figures and its lack of a clear strategy for tackling both insurgency and banditry raise doubts about its commitment to prioritising the lives of citizens in the region.
With the North still reeling from fresh tragedies and communities living under constant threat, the ACF’s warning appears to echo a deepening frustration across the region. If not urgently addressed, the Forum cautioned, the crisis could spiral out of control and plunge Nigeria into an even more dangerous era of instability.