A coalition of Nigerian leaders has raised alarm over the worsening security crisis, warning that the country is “bleeding” and may slide into chaos without urgent action.
The joint statement was signed by prominent figures from all geopolitical zones. It cut across political, ethnic, and religious lines, showing a rare united front on security.
The leaders cited Amnesty International data, which reports that at least 10,217 Nigerians have died in violent attacks in the past two years. They described the killings as “wartime levels of slaughter” in a country not officially at war.
Devastation Across States
Benue has recorded nearly 6,900 deaths and over 450,000 displaced people. Plateau has lost more than 2,600 lives, with farms destroyed, water sources poisoned, and villages emptied.
In Zamfara, 638 villages have been razed. Residents now pay criminal levies to armed groups under the threat of mass killings. Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Niger face similar attacks, while Boko Haram resurges in the Northeast, driving farmers off their lands.
The leaders condemned what they called “a dangerous national silence”. They said Nigeria risks losing its monopoly on the legitimate use of force.
A Call for Extraordinary Action
They warned that farmer-herder clashes have grown into sectarian wars, driven by military-grade weapons, impunity, and the collapse of local governance.
In their words: “This is a Nigerian problem with Nigerian faces. The challenge is not ethnic, but systemic: poverty, arms proliferation, impunity, injustice, and the erosion of local governance. We must lift the veil of stereotypes and deal with the truth: criminals come from every group: justice must be blind to identity.”
The leaders proposed an emergency Presidential Task Force on National Security. It would have extraordinary powers to coordinate intelligence, disarm armed groups, reintegrate displaced people, and publish quarterly reports on arrests and prosecutions to rebuild trust.
They insisted the body should be time-bound, transparent, and free from political pressure. “These are unusual times, they require unusual but constitutional measures,” they said.
Lessons from Other Nations
Citing Colombia, Rwanda, and Northern Ireland, the leaders urged Nigeria to address ethnic and religious divides through reform, justice, and reconciliation.
“If Rwanda, Colombia, and Northern Ireland can emerge from darker abysses, so can we, if our leaders … take the more challenging road of reconciliation, justice, and reform.”
They called on all Nigerians — from the Presidency and National Assembly to palaces, pulpits, and barracks — to act decisively.
The statement ended with a sobering reminder: “History will not judge the bandits. It will judge us who had the power to protect, and either rose to this moment or shrank from it.”
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