The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has raised alarm over Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, warning that the situation has deteriorated to what it described as a “state of war.”
The position was contained in a communiqué issued after the 38th meeting of the Forum’s Board of Trustees held in Abuja.
The meeting was chaired by Bashir M. Dalhatu and attended by prominent northern leaders, including former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed D. Abubakar; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; and former President of the United Nations General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, among others.
In the communiqué, the ACF said Nigeria’s security challenges have escalated beyond insurgency, banditry and communal clashes into a full-scale crisis threatening national survival.
“The scale, persistence and human cost of violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities,” the Forum stated.
It warned that the worsening insecurity now poses a grave threat not only to lives but also to the country’s stability and future, urging the federal government to act with urgency and clarity.
The Forum lamented that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced across states such as Borno, Plateau, Niger and Kwara, with members of the armed forces also among the casualties.
According to the ACF, the humanitarian impact of the crisis has left families devastated, livelihoods destroyed and communities deeply traumatised, while the national economy continues to suffer significant setbacks.
It further noted that insecurity is crippling agricultural activities, particularly in northern Nigeria, disrupting supply chains and contributing to rising inflation.
“Redirecting national resources toward security is not a diversion from economic development; it is a prerequisite for it,” the communiqué added.
The Forum called on the federal government to adopt what it described as a “wartime approach,” including temporarily suspending or scaling down non-essential projects in order to concentrate resources on addressing insecurity.
While acknowledging the importance of development, the ACF stressed that restoring security must take precedence.
“Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads. The escalating security crisis threatens not just lives, but the very stability and future of the nation,” the Forum warned.
It concluded that meaningful national progress would remain unattainable until Nigerians can live, work and travel without fear, calling for decisive and comprehensive action to secure the country without further delay.
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