Insecurity: Arewa Consultative Forum Seeks Alternative Approach, Says Unconventional Method Should Be Adopted

By Ayodele Oni

Worried by the unending insecurity in the Northern part of the country, the Board of Trustees, Arewa Consultative Forum, (ACF) has said unconventional methods should be adopted to tackle the menace.

The leadership of the ethnic group believes that this becomes imperative since various measures being adopted to address insecurity seem to have failed.

Rising from its meeting in Kaduna, the Arewa group pointed out that “There does not appear to be an end on sight to these crisis as the mitigation measures taken by the authorities have so far failed to yield the desired results.

“The current approaches to fighting the insurgents and bandits are not yielding the desired results. Other measures, even unconventional ones, need to be considered and tried.

“Nigeria is indeed facing a moral crisis for failing to protect its citizens who cannot bear arms but are left at the mercy of well armed, cruel and blood thirsty renegades and barbarians that continue to have free access to deadly arms.

“This is a matter that requires very urgent thoughts and review.  Community driven models of defence, such as the Civilian JTF, are already in operation in several parts of the country, including in the Boko-Haram-ravaged Northeast of Nigeria.”

In a communique signed by Prof Tukur Muhammad Baba, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF),

National Headquarters, stated further that “Similar or modified models of security management should be authorized in other parts of the country.

“Members agreed that at the moment, there is nothing troubling Northern Nigeria more than the lack of security of lives and property. The North is today ravaged by elevated forms of banditry, Boko Haram and other insurgencies.

“The menace of drug trafficking and abuse is steadily rising. Not surprisingly, food production is becoming increasingly difficult as farmlands are abandoned and the farmers are getting either killed or fleeing to the IDP camps.”

The meeting resolved that Northerners should do more to build trust and affection between and amongst themselves.

On cost of living, it decried severe food shortages and especially

the continuously rising prices of electr icity and fuel energy saying

these problems have compounded the challenges of insecurity and violent crimes.

The communique further stated that “After reviewing current agitations and calls for a review of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution as well as the restructuring of the administrative structure of Nigeria, the meeting resolved to dispel any impression that the North was shy, afraid of or averse to any such proposals. It is false and misguided.

“The meeting further resolved to put all and sundry on notice that Northern Nigeria is willing to consider all proposals on constitutional review that may be put on the table; now or in the future.

“If and when the occasion arises, the North will surely use whatever is available to it in pursuit of its legitimate interests.”