…Laments insecurity, leadership failure
Prominent public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has delivered a scathing assessment of the state of Northern Nigeria, describing the region as a “land of the living dead” overwhelmed by insecurity, fear, poverty and a deepening leadership crisis.
Shehu made the remarks on Saturday, through a post on his official 𝕏 account, where he expressed concern over what he called the gradual collapse of social consciousness and collective resilience among the people of the region.
According to him, millions of residents are physically alive but have become psychologically and emotionally crippled by years of violence, economic hardship and uncertainty.
“The current inhabitants of Northern Nigeria are alive but dead,” Shehu wrote, lamenting that widespread trauma and fear have left many people unable to respond effectively to the mounting challenges confronting their communities.
The comments come amid growing concerns over insecurity, poverty, displacement and other socio-economic challenges affecting several parts of Northern Nigeria, issues that analysts say continue to pose significant obstacles to development and stability in the region.
The commentator painted a grim picture of a society struggling under the weight of persistent insecurity, including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other criminal activities that have continued to disrupt daily life across many northern states.
He argued that the prolonged crisis has weakened the ability of citizens to question authority, demand accountability or push for meaningful reforms, leaving many resigned to their circumstances.
Shehu also criticised the quality of leadership in the region, accusing political elites, traditional institutions and other influential figures of failing in their responsibility to provide direction and protect the interests of the people. According to him, the absence of credible leadership has contributed significantly to the deterioration of social and economic conditions in the North.
He further alleged that some members of the elite class have become compromised, while traditional institutions that once served as pillars of guidance and stability have lost the courage to speak truth to power and defend the welfare of their communities.
The public commentator equally faulted ordinary citizens for what he described as growing passivity in the face of worsening conditions, arguing that widespread silence and inaction have allowed the situation to deteriorate further.
In his strongly-worded statement, Shehu said the region has become trapped in a cycle of envy, hatred, greed and injustice, with citizens increasingly unable to unite around a common vision for progress. “They are spineless, visionless, planless and have been reduced into a priceless laughing stock. All these things are possible because they have no credible leadership, with compromised elites and cowardly traditional institutions, docile citizens, all together surrounded by the venoms of envy, hate, greed and man’s inhumanity to man”, he stated.
His remarks have since generated reactions on social media, with many users debating his assessment of the challenges facing Northern Nigeria and the role of leaders and citizens in addressing the region’s security, economic and governance concerns.
