Worsening Insecurity: ACF Urges Northern Politicians To Prioritize Insecurity, Hunger, Growing Number Of Out -of- School Children Instead Of 2027 Poll

The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has expressed concerns over the worsening insecurity across the North, urging politicians to prioritize insecurity, hunger and growing number of out- of - school children instead of the 2027 elections.

ACF Chairman, Mamman Osuman, spoke

at the 79th National Executive Committee Meeting of the Forum at its Secretariat in Kaduna, describing the security situation in the region as “grave, devastating, and deeply troubling.” 

Osuman, therefore urged northern politicians to shift focus on strategizing for the 2027 elections and instead prioritize pressing issues like insecurity, hunger, poverty and growing number of out -of - school children in the region.

Osuman warned that terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping had escalated in several states in the area.

He further said that the region had continued to face tragic loss of lives, widespread displacement, as well as the destruction of rural livelihoods, citing the recent incidents in Kwara, Southern Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, among others in the area, noting that repeated attacks have violently uprooted families and entire communities with severe 

humanitarian consequences.

Osuman further said that overcrowded displacement camps, disruption of education for children as well as limited access to food and healthcare, had compounded the suffering of victims.

According to him, schools in several communities had been forced to close down due to persistent attacks, while farming activities, the backbone of rural economies, had also been significantly disrupted, pointing out that travel in many parts of the Northern region had become unsafe, thus discouraging access to healthcare services, markets, and schools.

Osuman stressed that the worsening security crisis demanded urgent and proactive engagement by stakeholders, particularly state chapters of the forum, noting further that the Forum must move beyond rhetoric by adopting principled, sincere, and action-driven approaches to address the region’s challenges.

He, therefore, called for constructive engagement with both federal and state governments in pursuit of peace, stability, and the rehabilitation of affected communities.

Meanwhile, as the country approaches another election cycle, the ACF pledged to cooperate with relevant authorities to promote peaceful and credible elections, while encouraging citizens to uphold civic responsibilities and respect for the rule of law.