Leaders Call for Stronger Local Action as Insecurity Deepens Across Nigeria
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reiterated that restoring peace in Plateau State and across Nigeria is a responsibility that lies squarely with Nigerians and their government—not with foreign actors. Speaking at the Jos Polo Field during a formal reception for defectors into the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akpabio said lasting stability can only be achieved through collective effort and sustained commitment to peace.
Representing President Bola Tinubu at the event, he pledged the administration’s readiness to intensify efforts toward ending violence in Plateau State and elsewhere.
“It is not outsiders who will bring peace to Plateau,” he said. “We must live in peace with one another. Nigeria must have peace for progress to come.”
In Kano, a similar call for action was echoed by the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Speaking at the 4th convocation of Skyline University, he urged the Federal Government to urgently confront the rising wave of insecurity along border communities. He noted that previously safe areas in the state—including Tsanyawa, Shanono, Bagwai, Gwarzo, and Karaye—had become targets for bandits crossing over from neighbouring states.
Kwankwaso warned that the situation mirrors the early stages of the crisis in Zamfara, which later spread across the North-West. He also criticised the practice of negotiating with bandits, arguing that such accords only embolden criminality.
In the South-West, the Yoruba for Democratic Values (YDV) raised fresh concerns over growing insecurity in rural communities. In a statement signed by its convener, Debo Adeniran, the group said many farmers had abandoned their farmlands due to repeated attacks by armed groups. The organisation also commented on recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump concerning alleged religious persecution in Nigeria, urging authorities to take such warnings seriously.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has emphasised President Tinubu’s engagement with traditional rulers as part of efforts to strengthen governance and security. Speaking through his media aide, Musa Krishi, Abbas said the President’s economic reforms—though difficult—were beginning to show positive signs. He made the remarks during the handover of utility vehicles to traditional rulers, facilitated through SMEDAN.
In another development, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, visited the troubled Faruruwa community in Shanono Local Council following repeated bandit attacks. He called for heightened vigilance, urging communities to support security agencies and intensify local efforts to counter cross-border incursions from Katsina State.
Sanusi said the rising attacks demand coordinated efforts from government, traditional institutions, and local vigilante groups to safeguard vulnerable communities and stem the tide of criminal activity.
