Lt Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), a former Minister of Interior and retired Chief of Army Staff, has sounded the alarm over escalating insecurity in Northern Nigeria, declaring that bandits and insurgents now control entire communities, levying taxes and enforcing their own rules.
Speaking on Monday, November 10, 2025, at the First Media and Security Summit in Birnin Kebbi themed ‘Existential Threats and National Security’, Dambazau highlighted that the crisis has persisted for over two decades.
“People were killed in Katsina, Borno, Zamfara and Kano mosques. The North has suffered from herders/farmers clash, terrorism and banditry,” he stated.
“We have gotten to a situation where bandits and insurgents have taken some of our communities, taxing and making laws for them. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced. The number of widows and orphans has increased, and farmers have lost farms and herders’ cattle rustled without action from state actors.”
To combat the menace, Dambazau called on northern governors to create a Ministry of Mineral Resources and collaborate with federal agencies to exploit natural resources, boost revenues, alleviate poverty, and curb insecurity.
He further recommended restoring the dignity of traditional institutions, revitalizing agriculture, a hallmark of the North tackling the out-of-school children crisis, and promoting social inclusion to stem the wave of killings.
“Over 70 per cent of those suffering from poverty occasioned by insecurity are from the North. Religious extremism is a major threat to security in northern Nigeria and has led groups like Boko Haram, Lakurawa terrorists and bandits to unleash violence on the people,” he added.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, emphasized collective responsibility earlier in the summit: “Security is everybody’s responsibility.
“We need to come together to talk with each other on how to solve this problem. We were not like this before; Nigeria was not what it is today. We can solve the problem by coming together and having understanding, and going ahead to implement the decisions we reached to have peace.”
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule urged northern unity to eradicate the scourge, noting: “Insecurity in the North West is worrisome.
The summit should look at the root cause of it; it may be due to climate change and other issues.”
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris described the gathering as a vital platform to deliberate on northern challenges and devise lasting solutions.
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