The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has told President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in northern Nigeria, stating that insecurity has left communities under siege.
NEF condemned the killing of over 20 soldiers in Bangi, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, saying it is a clear sign of total security collapse in the region.
In a statement by Prof Abubakar Jiddere, NEF spokesperson, he expressed deep pain over the ambush, warning that the scale and boldness of the attacks show terrorists have effectively declared war on Nigeria.
“The North is drowning in blood, its people abandoned, while security forces either cannot respond or are completely absent. We will no longer accept hollow condolences, tired speeches, or empty press statements. Nigerians deserve visible, aggressive, and accountable action now,” Jiddere said.
He described the violence spreading across the North as more than mere insecurity, calling it “an unrelenting campaign of terror, mass murder, and state failure,” with entire communities wiped out, homes burned, and lives destroyed while attackers roam free.
“More than 20 uniformed men, defenders of the nation, were slaughtered like animals by a gang of well-armed terrorists who launched a coordinated ambush that completely overwhelmed the base,” Jiddere said. “This is not just an attack; it is a declaration of war against the Nigerian state, and the state is losing.”
The Forum said the government has failed in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property, warning that patience in the region has run out.
“The Forum demands the immediate declaration of a state of emergency on security across Northern Nigeria.
“This must be followed by decisive, joint military, and intelligence operations with the sole objective of locating and eliminating every single terrorist and armed group threatening our people, regardless of who shelters them or where they operate.
“The blood of Northern Nigerians is not cheap. Our soldiers are not cannon fodder. Our citizens will not continue to die silently while a complacent government watches from a distance.
“The NEF warns in the clearest possible terms that the continued federal inaction will provoke open resistance.
“The patience of our people has run out. The legitimacy of any government that cannot or will not protect its citizens is gone. Enough is enough. We will not be silent. The North will not kneel before terror.”
The forum demanded an immediate state of emergency on security across northern Nigeria, followed by decisive joint military and intelligence operations to root out terrorists and armed groups “wherever they operate and whoever protects them.”
“The blood of Northern Nigerians is not cheap. Our soldiers are not cannon fodder. Our citizens will not continue to die silently while a complacent government watches from a distance,” the statement said.
NEF warned that continued federal inaction could provoke open resistance. “
The patience of our people has run out. The legitimacy of any government that cannot or will not protect its citizens is gone. Enough is enough. We will not be silent. The North will not kneel before terror.”
