Atiku, NEF: It’s Time FG Declared Security Emergency to Empower War Commanders
• Ex-VP says attacks on schools may cripple education, stall development
•Situation poses serious threat to nation’s stability, economic wellbeing, group maintains
•Falana, Falz, CSOs declare nationwide June 12 protest over insecurity, hardship
•Elder statesman, Umar Ajiya, expresses concern
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Wale Igbintade in Lagos
Presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has told the federal government to declare emergency in security to empower commanders with more freedom to act decisively and proactively against terrorists and other criminal elements.
Atiku decried the worsening insecurity in Nigeria, and expressed concern that terrorists and bandits’ attacks were now targeted not only at wasting precious human lives, but also crippling the country’s education.
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) also called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a national security emergency, warning that escalating violence, kidnappings, and bandit attacks across the country pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s stability and economic wellbeing.
The calls came as a coalition of civil society organisations, labour activists, youth groups, community associations, and concerned citizens declared June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, a day of nationwide protest and mass action against worsening insecurity, widespread hunger, and deepening economic hardship across the country.
At the same time, an elder statesman, Umar Ajiya, raised concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation. Ajiya warned that the country’s persistent insecurity could escalate into a national crisis if citizens failed to actively support government’s efforts to tackle the menace.
Atiku raised the concern yesterday following the latest attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, in which three persons, including the vice principal of the school, were killed while several students were abducted.
About 90 schoolchildren were on May 15 abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, and Mussa, Borno State, while the principal in the Oriire school beheaded.
Atiku said he was worried that there was a pattern in the attacks aimed at crippling the education sector and consequently stalling development strides.
The former vice president called for the declaration of emergency on security in Nigeria, stating that the state of emergency on security does not include the suspension of elected officials of states.
According to the Waziri Adamawa, the latest attack on a school in Kogi State was a direct threat to education and a colossal national embarrassment that demanded urgent and drastic action.
“It is high time the federal government declared a statement of emergency to empower commanders with more freedom to act decisively and proactively with these monsters in the county,” Atiku said.
He added, “I am not in any way calling for the removal of elected officials, but rather advocating for commanders to have freer hand to protect their battlefield decisions from political interference.”
He explained, “Nigeria is facing worsening insecurity that demands extraordinary measures, including state of emergency.
“Learning can only take place in a safe environment and terrorist attacks on schools are increasingly making our schools dangerous places.
“Worse still, the anxiety and trauma that follow terrorist attacks on schools will inevitably make the school environment unsafe for both students and teachers.”
Atiku said, “Under no circumstances should we allow terrorists or bandits to destroy our way of life and stop our children from going to school.”
According to him, “A terrorist attack on one school is a threat to schools elsewhere across the country because of its domino-effect.”
As part of the drastic measures to address the security challenges, Atiku advocated the establishment of national guards made up of retired veterans to complement the efforts of the military and police, which he said were overstretched and under-manned.
He also called for improved human intelligence on terrorist movements and greater community vigilance, explaining, “Our communities have a great role to play in information sharing and eternal vigilance.”
NEF Urges Tinubu to Declare National Security Emergency over Rising Insecurity
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a national security emergency. NEF warned that escalating violence, kidnappings, and bandit attacks across the country posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s stability and economic wellbeing.
In a statement, yesterday, the forum’s spokesperson, Abubakar Jiddere, described the current security situation as unprecedented, saying criminal activities have continued to spread across several parts of the country, leaving millions of Nigerians vulnerable.
The forum expressed concern over what it termed the government’s inability to adequately safeguard life and property. It said communities in states, including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Borno, Oyo, Edo, Enugu and Imo, remained under threat from bandits, kidnappers and other armed groups.
According to NEF, kidnapping-for-ransom has evolved into a sophisticated criminal enterprise driven by weak law enforcement, porous borders, illegal arms proliferation, and inadequate intelligence coordination among security agencies.
The group warned that the security crisis was having far-reaching economic and social consequences, including declining agricultural output, displacement of farming communities, disruption of education, weakening rural economies, and rising poverty levels.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, the forum questioned why many citizens were increasingly being forced to defend themselves against criminal elements.
The group also expressed concern over reports of inadequate security presence in vulnerable communities, delayed responses to distress calls, and limited prosecution of suspected perpetrators of violent crimes.
NEF called on the federal government to investigate illegal mining activities and other forms of illicit resource exploitation, allegedly, linked to insecurity in some parts of the country. It said criminal networks often flourished where governance and oversight were weak.
As part of its recommendations, the forum urged the government to strengthen intelligence-sharing among security agencies, intensify operations against kidnapping and banditry networks, prosecute sponsors and financiers of violent groups, conduct comprehensive audits of illegal mining activities, improve protection for farming communities and schools, and ensure greater accountability in the management of security funds.
Describing the security challenge as a national emergency rather than a regional problem, the forum warned that continued violence could undermine public confidence in government institutions and hinder economic development.
“The time for assurances has passed. The time for measurable action is now,” the statement said.
Falana, Falz, CSOs Declare Nationwide June 12 Protest Over Insecurity, Hardship
A coalition of civil society organisations, labour activists, youth groups, community associations and concerned Nigerians declared June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, a day of nationwide protest and mass action against worsening insecurity, widespread hunger, and deepening economic hardship across the country.
The coalition included prominent human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN); his son, a musician and activist, Folarin Falana (Falz); Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR); Joint Action Front (JAF); Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), and several other groups.
They accused the federal government of failing to address the security and economic challenges confronting millions of Nigerians.
In a statement, yesterday, the coalition said there was little for ordinary Nigerians to celebrate on Democracy Day, as many citizens continued to grapple with insecurity, poverty, inflation, and declining living standards.
According to the groups, communities across the country remain under constant threat from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements, who continued to operate with impunity, despite repeated assurances from government authorities that insecurity was being tackled.
The coalition expressed solidarity with families, who had lost loved ones to terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. It called for immediate government action to secure the release of Nigerians currently being held captive by criminal groups in various parts of the country.
The statement mentioned victims of abductions in Oyo, Borno, Katsina, Kwara, Ekiti, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states, as well as other parts of the federation affected by kidnapping and related crimes.
“The Nigerian people deserve a pro-people government that places the protection of lives and property at the core of governance,” the coalition said.
The groups lamented that despite years of official assurances that insecurity was being defeated, attacks on communities continued unabated while farmers, students and ordinary citizens remained vulnerable.
They stated that several communities had been repeatedly attacked, while schools remained under threat, farmers were unable to safely access their farmlands, and many highways across the country had become increasingly unsafe.
Ajiya Urges Citizens to Support Govt to Fight Insecurity Before it Degenerates
An elder statesman, Umar Ajiya, raised concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, warning that the country’s persistent insecurity could escalate into a national crisis if citizens fail to actively support attempts by government to tackle the menace.
In a statement, Ajiya said Nigeria had been grappling with multiple security challenges for more than two decades, ranging from insurgency by Boko Haram to widespread kidnapping, banditry, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes that had continued to threaten national stability and economic growth.
According to him, while the federal government and several state governments have made considerable efforts to address the situation, it has become increasingly evident that government’s intervention alone cannot solve the problem.
He stressed that every responsible citizen had a role to play by providing credible intelligence, contributing resources where possible, and offering constructive ideas and advice to support security agencies.
Ajiya emphasised that history had repeatedly shown that when the majority of law-abiding citizens remained silent in the face of growing societal challenges, such problems often worsened and became more difficult to resolve.
He stated, “Throughout history, the failure of the good majority to speak up has allowed systemic issues to thrive, whether in civic life or spiritual matters. If this trend continues, Nigeria stands the risk of a national meltdown that Africa cannot swallow.”
The elder statesman said the gravity of the current security challenges compelled him, as a concerned private citizen, to propose a number of policy options and practical solutions that government authorities might consider in their efforts to restore peace and security across the country.
Among his recommendations was the need for adequate and timely funding of security agencies, backed by measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and accountability mechanisms to ensure efficient utilisation of resources.