The Pathfinder
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
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The Northern governors and traditional rulers rose from their meeting yesterday with resolve to support the creation of state police as a way out of the high level of insecurity in the north.
They asked for a 6-month ban on mining in the region.
The governors warned that the region stood on the brink of losing its future to escalating insecurity and deepening poverty unless leaders took urgent, decisive decisions.
This is even as Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, urged his colleagues and traditional rulers to close ranks and confront the region’s deepening security challenges with sincerity and collective resolve.
Speaking at a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Northern Traditional Rulers Council in Kaduna, Chairman of the Forum and Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the north was currently confronted with “the grim reality of insecurity and poverty that seek to undermine our very existence.”
The two-day meeting, held at Kaduna State Government House, drew 19 governors, traditional rulers, security chiefs, and civil society representatives in what was described as a final push for a coordinated response to terrorism, banditry, and social decay in the region.
Governor Yahaya said future generations would judge today’s leaders not by the number of projects they commissioned but by whether they were able to bequeath to them a northern Nigeria they could truly call home.
He paid tribute to President Bola Tinubu, commending his “strong leadership and steadfast commitment to Nigeria’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” especially in the rescue efforts for abducted schoolchildren.
The governor extended condolences to families of pupils abducted in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Kano, Niger, and Sokoto states, as well as victims of recent Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe states.
He insisted that attacks on education were an assault on the region’s destiny.
Warning that insecurity spared no one, poor or rich, Muslim or Christian, Governor Yahaya sought an end to partisan bickering and a united stand to “ensure the very survival of the north and Nigeria at large.”
He also called for the rejection of divisive narratives, saying the crisis was driven not only by crime but also by underdevelopment, illiteracy, poor resource management, climate change, and the abandonment of millions of Almajiri and out-of-school children.
Topping the agenda was a renewed call for the establishment of state police.
Reaffirming the May 10, 2025, communique of the NSGF, the governors said state policing remained “a critical and effective mechanism” to address today’s security challenges and urged the National Assembly to fast-track constitutional amendments required to make it a reality.
Traditional rulers were tasked to deploy their influence as “stabilizers,” while religious leaders were urged to preach tolerance and avoid incendiary rhetoric.
Political leaders, the forum warned, must desist from exploiting ethnic or religious differences for political gains.
Security agencies were equally encouraged to maintain proactive surveillance and timely responses, while the judiciary was called upon to ensure swift criminal justice delivery.
In a joint declaration, the governors pledged to work closely with the federal government, under President Tinubu, “to turn the tide and ensure lasting peace and stability for our region and the nation at large.”
Northern leaders must close ranks—Gov. Sani.
At the summit, Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani urged the northern governors and traditional rulers to close ranks and confront the region’s deepening security challenges with sincerity and collective resolve.
He commended the forum’s chairman for what he described as steady and courageous leadership, while paying tribute to traditional rulers for their stabilizing role, saying their guidance remained critical in a region battling multiple threats.
Sani warned that despite progress, the north was witnessing a disturbing trend where insecurity was being politicized by some opposition elements “seeking to amplify fear and weaken public trust.”
He said, “We must resist this behavior and work together to address the security situation. We have a president who understands the north, values the north, and consistently respects our perspectives.”
Reiterating his long-standing call for state police, Sani noted that Nigeria’s highly centralized policing structure was no longer effective for a country of over 230 million people with vast areas that remained difficult to secure.
He urged northern leaders to have frank conversations, embrace bold reforms, and demonstrate the visionary leadership their people expected.
“History will remember the choices we make in moments like this,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, threw his weight behind the governors, urging them to intensify their efforts in tackling insecurity and socio-economic hardship.
“As leaders, we need to really tell ourselves the truth. But I want to assure you, we are 100 percent with you in this drive to make the north a better place because we don’t have any other place to be,’’ he said.
Sultan backs govs
The Sultan said the region was at a defining moment that demanded honesty, courage, and unwavering collaboration among political and traditional leaders.
He said the meeting offered yet another chance to “deliberate seriously” on threats to the stability of the north and the unity of Nigeria, stressing that leaders must be truthful with one another and with citizens.
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