The Arewa Consultative Forum has raised fresh alarm over worsening insecurity, deepening poverty and growing humanitarian crises across Northern Nigeria. Chairman Mamman Mike Osuman said terrorism, banditry and kidnapping are uprooting families and destroying livelihoods in many states.
Speaking at the ACF’s 79th National Executive Council meeting in Kaduna, Osuman listed Kwara, Southern Kaduna, Katsina and Benue among areas facing rising attacks. He said repeated violence has forced people into overcrowded camps and informal settlements with poor access to food, healthcare and other basic services.
Osuman warned that school closures, disrupted farming and restricted movement have further weakened rural economies. He noted that the situation has become so severe that external military support has been needed in some locations, underscoring the urgency for coordinated action.
He challenged ACF members not to remain ceremonial or rhetorical but to be principled, sincere and action driven. State chapters were urged to engage governments at all levels to promote peace, stability and rehabilitation of affected communities.
Osuman cautioned Northern political actors against being distracted by early manoeuvring for the 2027 elections. He criticised emerging groups that focus more on electoral strategies than on solving problems such as out of school children, hunger, poverty and persistent attacks.
While acknowledging that some public office holders have supported the Forum, he said many leaders remain disconnected from ACF’s vision and programmes. He urged members to keep the welfare of vulnerable people at the centre of all deliberations.
Osuman announced that the ACF National Working Committee has approved new structures to strengthen internal governance. These include a nine member Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee chaired by Professor Nuhu Mohammed Jamo of Ahmadu Bello University, a legal consultant to the National Assembly on the 1999 Constitution review.
He reminded members to strictly follow the ACF constitution, avoid sensational public statements and focus on initiatives that support the region’s survival and recovery. As elections approach, he said the Forum must work with relevant authorities to ensure peaceful, credible polls and to educate citizens on their civic duties.
Osuman added that positions on the state of the nation must be evidence based. He called for practical solutions that can guide remedy, recovery and long term progress in the North.
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