By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Northern leaders have issued a forceful demand for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, declaring that the country’s current strategy has failed to contain a widening wave of terror and violence.
Rising from mounting attacks across the North, most recently the deadly suicide bombings in Maiduguri that killed 23 people and injured 108, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said Nigeria can no longer afford incremental fixes to what it described as a deeply broken system.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the forum’s national publicity secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, said the scale, frequency and coordination of recent attacks point to fundamental flaws in the nation’s security framework.
According to the group, the Maiduguri bombings are only the latest in a string of violent incidents stretching across Borno, Plateau, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Kwara states, an expanding crisis that has exposed the limits of existing counterterrorism measures.
ACF argued that persistent breaches, including attacks on military formations and the killing of security personnel, underscore a dangerous reality: armed groups are operating with alarming freedom despite ongoing military efforts.
The forum said the situation demands more than routine condemnations or reactive deployments, calling instead for a sweeping reset of strategy, structure and execution.
It stressed that without strong political will, improved intelligence coordination and a more aggressive operational posture, Nigeria risks losing further ground to insurgents, terrorists and criminal networks.
“The pattern we are witnessing is not random,” the statement noted, describing the attacks as part of a sustained effort to destabilise communities and erode public confidence in state authority.
Beyond the immediate death toll, the group warned of deepening social and economic consequences, including mass displacement, disrupted livelihoods and growing fear across affected regions.
ACF maintained that while government efforts are visible, they have not translated into meaningful security gains, urging leaders to move beyond what it characterised as cautious or hesitant responses.
The forum insisted that only a decisive, system-wide overhaul, backed by clear leadership and accountability, can reverse the current trajectory.
It also conveyed condolences to victims of the attacks and members of the armed forces, but emphasised that sympathy must be matched with urgent, tangible action.
With violence spreading and public anxiety rising, Northern leaders say the moment for a fundamental reset is no longer optional, it is critical.
