The North-West Youth Unity Forum (NYUF) has called on the Federal Government to implement decisive and strategic measures to tackle the escalating security crisis across northern Nigeria. In a bold move, the group issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to resolve the persistent insecurity ravaging the region, warning that it would explore all lawful avenues to hold authorities accountable if the situation remains unchanged.
The forum's position was outlined in a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Murtala Ishaqa Jangebe, and made available to journalists in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. The group urged the Federal Government to officially designate Boko Haram and other terrorist groups as illegal organizations, citing the continued killings, displacement of innocent citizens, and destruction of property perpetrated by the insurgents.
According to the forum, communities across the North-West have suffered relentless attacks, kidnappings, rape, cattle rustling, and mass displacement due to the worsening insecurity. It lamented that families have paid billions of naira in ransom to secure the release of kidnapped relatives, while hundreds of communities have been deserted as residents flee to safer areas, including state capitals and local government headquarters.
The forum also decried the poor condition of roads linking states in the North-West, describing many routes as unsafe for commuters due to frequent attacks by armed groups. It stated that several communities in the region have become difficult and unsafe places to live because of the activities of bandits and terrorists.
Furthermore, the communiqué called on governors of North-West states, including Jigawa, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Zamfara, to immediately recruit and equip forest guards as part of efforts to combat criminal activities in forests and rural communities. The group stressed that the proposed forest guards should be adequately armed and supported to strengthen local security architecture and assist conventional security agencies in ending banditry and other violent crimes across the region.
