They spoke of funds.
They blamed illegal mining.
They endorsed new structures.
But when Arewa’s governors met to address the region’s worsening security crisis, what they left unsaid was louder than their resolutions.
As kidnappings spiral — with more than 500 people abducted in recent weeks across northern states — the governors announced a six-month mining ban, unveiled a ₦228 billion annual Security Trust Fund, and renewed calls for state police. The communique was polished. The gaps were glaring.
The ransom economy they avoided
Nowhere in the governors’ statement was there a direct reference to the ransom economy keeping banditry alive. Across Arewa, ransom payments are negotiated, collected, and sometimes taxed — in full view of local communities.
No governor explained why:
- Payments continue without enforcement consequences
- Bandit groups openly impose levies on villages
- Kidnapping remains profitable, predictable, and protected
Illegal mining may fund crime — but ransom sustains it.
Silence on political protection
Equally absent was any acknowledgement of political complicity. In several northern states, powerful actors are routinely accused of:
- Shielding bandit leaders
- Using armed groups during election cycles
- Interfering with arrests and prosecutions
Yet the meeting produced no commitment to confront insider enablers of insecurity.
Forests, borders, and the holes in security
The governors focused on mining sites but avoided the bigger picture: vast ungoverned forests and porous borders that allow arms, fighters, and drugs to move freely.
Known criminal corridors remain ungoverned.
Armed camps remain intact.
Communities remain exposed.
A mining ban alone cannot seal borders or clear forests.
Money without accountability
₦228 billion annually is a powerful promise. But the governors did not say:
- Who will audit the fund
- How spending will be monitored
- What happens when results don’t follow
Arewa has seen large security votes before — often with little to show for them.
Arrests without justice
Security agencies make arrests. Headlines follow. Then silence.
The governors avoided the uncomfortable truth that prosecutions are weak, cases collapse, and convicted criminals sometimes return quietly to the same communities they terrorised.
Without justice, enforcement becomes theatre.
Ribadu’s visit, familiar assurances
As anger mounted, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visited Niger State, assuring families that rescue operations are ongoing. His visit reflected urgency — but also repetition.
Families across Arewa have heard similar assurances before. Many are still waiting.
The question remains
Arewa does not only suffer from insecurity — it suffers from selective conversations about insecurity.
Until leaders confront:
- Ransom finances
- Political protection
- Border failures
- Forest militarisation
- Justice and accountability
No fund, ban, or communiqué will change the outcome.
The governors spoke.
What they didn’t say may matter more.