…Govs., Sultan unite on State Police
Northern political and traditional leaders yesterday held a high-stakes emergency security summit in Kaduna, issuing their strongest collective warning yet that the North risks “losing its future” to escalating insecurity, deepening poverty and social collapse unless urgent, coordinated action is taken.
The joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council brought together the 19 governors of the region, led by Forum Chairman and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya; traditional rulers, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; Security Chiefs and civil society stakeholders.
Across speeches and interventions, one message dominated the hall: the North is at a critical crossroads, and delay is no longer an option.
In a unanimous position, the governors reaffirmed their backing for the swift establishment of State Police, describing it as “a critical and effective mechanism” for confronting terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes ravaging the region.
Governor Yahaya said the security crisis – spanning mass abductions, school attacks, rural displacement and criminal insurgencies – had grown from a “localised challenge to a national and existential threat”.
He stressed that without peace, “there will be no politics to play and no state or country to govern”, warning that insecurity “spares no one – poor or rich, Muslim or Christian”.
The Forum urged the 10th National Assembly to expedite constitutional amendments to enable the creation of State Police forces nationwide.
Condemning recent abductions of schoolchildren across the North-West and North-Central and attacks by Boko Haram in Borno and Yobe states, Governor Yahaya described education as “the bedrock of our children’s future”, and said terrorists target schools and farms to “cripple the tools that empower our youth”.
He said future generations will judge Northern leaders not by the number of projects they commission, but by whether they secure a region “where children can learn without fear and citizens can move freely”.
In one of the most candid interventions of the day, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III told the governors that many citizens feel abandoned after elections and that leaders must not dismiss public criticism as hostility. “Listen to critics; listen to criticisms, and make amendments whenever these arise”, the Sultan said.
He warned that leaders who ignore public sentiment will worsen insecurity, poverty and the region’s widening trust deficit. Offering full support from traditional rulers, he urged deeper collaboration with elected leaders, proposing structured, regular consultations to harmonise policies across the North.
The governors placed the Almajiri system and the millions of out-of-school children “at the top of the agenda”, calling the situation “a stain on our collective conscience”. They pledged massive investments in human capital development, transport and energy infrastructure, and economic opportunities to restore stability in the region.
Across speeches, Northern leaders urged citizens and politicians to avoid ethnic or religious narratives that worsen tensions. “Our enemies seek to sow discord among us; we must not allow them to win”, Yahaya warned.
Governor Uba Sani, of Kaduna state, echoed the call for state policing and demanded greater seriousness from northern leaders in confronting insecurity. Traditional rulers reiterated their role as stabilisers committed to peace-building.
At the end of the two-day meeting, the governors and traditional rulers pledged unwavering support to President Bola Tinubu’s security efforts, while insisting that any international cooperation must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty. They also charged security agencies to maintain pro-active vigilance, and the Judiciary to ensure swift criminal justice delivery.
In their concluding message, the leaders warned that the North must act now – or risk losing everything. “Future generations will remember whether we bequeathed a Northern Nigeria they can truly call home – secure, stable and prosperous”, the communiqué stated.
