Kaduna—The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity, poverty, and humanitarian challenges confronting Northern Nigeria, warning that terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping are increasingly displacing communities and disrupting livelihoods.

The alarm was raised on Wednesday by ACF Chairman, Mamman Mike Osuman, SAN, while delivering his welcome address at the Forum’s 79th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the ACF Secretariat in Kaduna.

Osuman said the region has continued to face grave difficulties since the last NEC meeting in August 2025, citing natural disasters, loss of lives, and harsh living conditions as factors compounding the plight of residents.

“Terrorism, armed banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping are on the rise, as witnessed in Kwara, Southern Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, and other locations. The consequences have been devastating, with families and communities violently uprooted and displaced,” he said.

According to the chairman, these displacements have led to overcrowded camps and informal settlements with limited access to essential services, heightening the risks of malnutrition and mortality among survivors.

He added that repeated attacks and the prevailing climate of fear have disrupted education through school closures, strained rural economies, and discouraged access to farming, healthcare, and travel.

Osuman noted that the scale of insecurity has become so severe that external military assistance has been required, underscoring the urgency for coordinated action.

“Our existence as a socio-cultural organisation must not be merely ceremonial or rhetorical; it must be principled, sincere, sacrificial, and action-driven,” he stated, urging state chapters to engage constructively with governments at all levels in pursuit of peace, stability, and civil rehabilitation of affected communities.

He also cautioned against political distractions ahead of the 2027 elections, observing that some emerging groups appear more focused on electoral strategies than on pressing issues such as out-of-school children, hunger, poverty,etc.
and persistent attacks.

While acknowledging that some elected and appointed officials have supported the Forum, Osuman said many leaders remain disconnected from ACF’s aspirations and programmes.

The chairman called on members to remain sincere and purposeful in their deliberations, stressing that the welfare of the downtrodden must remain central to the Forum’s engagements.

Highlighting internal developments, he disclosed that the National Working Committee (NWC) had endorsed the creation of additional committees, including a nine-member Code of Conduct and Ethics Committee to strengthen institutional governance.

The committee is to be headed by Professor Nuhu Mohammed Jamo, a former Dean of the Faculty of Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a legal consultant to the National Assembly on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

Osuman further urged members to operate strictly in line with the ACF Constitution, avoid sensationalism, and focus on programmes that advance the restoration, survival, and welfare of the region’s people.

As the country approaches another election cycle, he emphasized the need for ACF to cooperate with relevant authorities to ensure peaceful and credible polls while educating citizens on their civic responsibilities.

“The State of the Nation is on the agenda. Positions taken must be fact-based, and speakers should propose practical solutions that will guide remedy, recovery, and progress,” he added.