ACF says Nigeria in “state of war,” demands urgent security overhaul

As violence spring up in communities around the country, northern leaders warn Nigeria can no longer treat insecurity as routine insisting the nation must now respond with a full-scale, war-time strategy or risk deeper collapse.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has declared that Nigeria’s escalating insecurity has reached a “state of war,” urging the Federal Government to adopt urgent, extraordinary measures and treat the crisis as a national emergency.

In a communiqué issued after its 38th Board of Trustees meeting in Abuja, the influential northern body warned that the scale, persistence, and human toll of violence across the country now threaten national stability and survival. The meeting, chaired by Bashir Dalhatu, brought together prominent northern leaders, including former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai, former President of the United Nations General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, and Mahmud Ahmed.

The ACF said Nigeria’s security challenges ranging from insurgency in the North-East to banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, as well as recurring communal clashes have evolved into a broader and more dangerous crisis. According to the forum, what was once seen as a series of regional security concerns has now morphed into a nationwide emergency demanding immediate and decisive action.

“Nigeria’s security crisis has moved far beyond a routine governance challenge,” the communiqué stated. “It has evolved into a state of all-out war that now threatens the continued existence of Nigeria as we know it.” The forum stressed that the situation must no longer be treated as one issue among many competing priorities, but as the country’s overriding concern.

Highlighting the human cost, the ACF said hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been killed or displaced in states such as Borno, Plateau, Niger, and Kwara, with many more affected across other regions. It noted that members of the armed forces, including senior military officers, have also suffered significant casualties in the line of duty.

“Families have been shattered, livelihoods destroyed, and entire generations traumatized,” the forum said, underscoring the deep social and psychological impact of the prolonged violence.

Beyond the humanitarian crisis, the ACF warned that insecurity is severely undermining Nigeria’s economy, particularly agriculture in the northern region. It said widespread violence has disrupted farming activities, weakened supply chains, and contributed to rising inflation, pushing rural economies toward collapse.

“Insecurity is now directly undermining Nigeria’s economy,” the communiqué noted. “The longer the crisis persists, the more expensive it becomes to fix.”

To address the situation, the forum called for a “war-time approach,” urging the government to reallocate national resources and prioritize security above all else. It recommended temporarily suspending or scaling down spending on non-essential projects to channel funding, leadership focus, and national energy toward ending the crisis.

“Extraordinary threats require extraordinary measures,” the ACF said, adding that securing the nation must come before pursuing broader development goals. It argued that prioritizing security is not a diversion from development but a necessary foundation for sustainable progress.

The forum concluded by warning that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, where continued inaction or inadequate response could further endanger lives and the country’s future. It called on authorities to act swiftly and decisively to restore peace and stability nationwide.