The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed fear that banditry and insurgency have gone out of control in Northern Nigeria to the extent that it may threaten the existence of the entire region in the next five years.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the ACF, Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu, has expressed the Forum’s concern over the current insecurity in the North, and warned that banditry and general insecurity have posed serious threat to the survival of the region.

Dalhatu issued the warning on Thursday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during a visit to offer condolences and solidarity to the people of the state following the recent devastating flood disaster in Maiduguri.

Dalhatu described the North as being in an extremely dire situation, facing multiple crises including insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, and various other social vices and challenges in the North Central.

Dalhatu said, “Our predicament is worsened by insurgency and banditry, which have even made it impossible for our people to go to their farms.

“Many farmers can no longer access their lands, and we no longer produce enough food to feed ourselves.

“Millions of children are out of school, and social ills such as Almajiri and begging have become rampant.

“When you consider all these issues together, it becomes clear that we are in a perilous state.”

He warned that if immediate action is not taken, the situation could worsen, further threatening the region’s existence.

He said, “Ten years ago, there were no bandits in the North West. Today, however, nearly every state in the region is grappling with banditry.

“We fear that if this trend continues unchecked, the situation could spiral out of control in the next five years, endangering our way of life.”

Dalhatu emphasised that the efforts made so far over the last decade to curb the insurgency have failed to yield meaningful results and, in some cases, have only exacerbated the problem.

He noted that, “The actions taken in the past 15 years have not been able to stop insurgency; in fact, they have worsened the situation.

“We now realise the full extent of the danger we face, and the consequences of inaction will be catastrophic.”

He said that in response, the ACF has assembled a team of experienced and knowledgeable experts to thoroughly assess the situation.

According to Dalhatu, their findings will be presented to the 19 northern state governors, who will then take the matter to the federal government for urgent and decisive action.

Dalhatu assured that this time, the ACF is committed to ensuring that effective and sustainable solutions are implemented.

He said, “We are hopeful that, Insha Allah, the actions we propose will be far more effective. With determination and the right approach, we believe we can bring an end to these pressing challenges.”