Tinubu pledges stronger action against terrorism, banditry in Northern Nigeria

Tinubu pledges stronger action against terrorism, banditry in Northern Nigeria

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has identified insecurity in Northern Nigeria as his deepest concern, warning that the ongoing crisis threatens national stability, economic growth, and educational progress. He spoke through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Saturday at the 25th Anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, coinciding with the launch of the Forum’s Endowment Fund.

In his address titled “A Generation Summoned by a Crisis”, Tinubu acknowledged that his administration inherited complex security challenges but emphasized that his government is addressing them with urgency.

“Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria. Affliction in any part of the country is a setback for every part. We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed,” the President said.

He stressed the importance of unity and moral responsibility, noting that fear, hunger, and insecurity should not define communities. “Yet the ethnic and religious diversity gathered here today is a declaration of the collective resolve to overcome polarisation and resist any agenda designed to divide,” he added.

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President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to eliminating terrorist and bandit groups tormenting the North and reviving the region’s economy. He highlighted infrastructure projects, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Superhighway, set for inauguration in Kano in the coming months, and expressed confidence in the North’s potential, citing future crude oil production from Kolmani and other Northern oil fields.

Reflecting on generational responsibility, Tinubu noted, “The current generation faces one of the gravest tests of its endurance, the corrosion of security, the erosion of communal values, and the distortion of the moral compass that once held communities as one family.”

He also commended the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) for 25 years of moral and intellectual leadership, describing it as “a central pillar in every serious national conversation.”

In his remarks, ACF Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, highlighted recent security incidents, including the gruesome murder of a Nigerian Army Brigadier General, mass abductions of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger States, and the attack on a Catholic secondary school in Papiri, where 215 pupils and 12 teachers were kidnapped.

Dalhatu called for immediate and decisive action to end violence across the country, noting that the recurring killings, abductions, and attacks undermine national security and the sacrifices of military personnel.

Tinubu pledges stronger action against terrorism, banditry in Northern Nigeria