The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has warned that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has reached what it described as a “state of war,” calling for urgent and extraordinary measures from the Federal Government to address the crisis.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued after the forum’s 38th Board of Trustees meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
The meeting was chaired by Bashir Dalhatu and attended by prominent northern figures, including former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), former UN General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, and Mahmud Ahmed.
In its communiqué, the forum said Nigeria’s security situation ranging from insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, to recurring communal clashes—has escalated into a national emergency threatening stability.
It warned that the scale and persistence of violence now require a fundamental shift in national priorities and response strategies.
“Nigeria’s security crisis has moved far beyond a routine governance challenge; it has since evolved from insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings across the North-West and North-Central, persistent inter-communal clashes, violent conflict between herders and farmers, to a state of all-out war that now threatens the continued existence of Nigeria as we know it,” the communiqué stated.
The forum added that the situation must no longer be treated as a routine policy issue, but as the country’s overriding national emergency.
“The time has come for the government of Nigeria to treat this crisis not as one issue among many, but as the overriding national emergency,” it said.
The ACF expressed concern over the rising death toll and displacement across several states, including Borno, Plateau, Niger, and Kwara, noting that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or forced from their homes.
It also highlighted the toll on security personnel, stating that members of the armed forces, including senior officers, have also been among the casualties.
“This is not even counting the large number of our armed forces personnel, including very senior military officers. Families have been shattered, livelihoods destroyed, and entire generations traumatized,” it added.
The forum further warned that insecurity is now severely affecting Nigeria’s economy, particularly agriculture in northern regions, where farming activities and supply chains have been disrupted.
“Insecurity is now directly undermining Nigeria’s economy.
”Agriculture, especially in the North is under severe threat. Supply chains are disrupted, inflation is worsened, and rural economies are collapsing,” it said.
It stressed that prioritising security was essential for economic recovery, adding that national resources must be redirected toward addressing the crisis.
Calling for stronger action, the forum said a wartime-level response was necessary.
“War-time approach is required. Extraordinary threats require extraordinary measures,” it stated, urging the government to temporarily scale down non-essential spending and focus on restoring security nationwide.
The ACF concluded that Nigeria stands at a critical point and warned that continued escalation of violence poses a serious threat to the country’s future, urging decisive and coordinated action to restore stability.
