The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has condemned the brutal killing of more than 20 Nigerian soldiers in an ambush near Bangi in Mariga local government area of Niger State, describing it as a grim indicator of total security collapse in Northern Nigeria.
The Forum also called on the federal government for a declaration of a state of emergency in security across the nation’s Northern region.
NEF spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, stated this through a statement on Saturday, saying the attack carried out by heavily armed terrorists on Tuesday, June 24 was not an isolated incident but “a declaration of war against the Nigerian state.”
“More than 20 uniformed men, defenders of the nation, were slaughtered like animals,” said Jiddere. “This is not just an attack, it is a declaration of war, and the state is losing.”
The NEF lamented what it called an “unrelenting campaign of terror” across the North, pointing to recent attacks in Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Borno, and Niger States.
According to the Forum, the northern region is now “under siege” by terrorists who operate with impunity, while accusing the government of either “unable or unwilling” to stop them.
“This barbaric assault is only the latest chapter in the ongoing bloodbath,” Jiddere said. “Entire communities are being wiped out, homes torched, lives shattered, and still, the killers roam freely.”
He further accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property, declaring that the patience of Northern citizens has “run out.”
“The Northern Elders Forum will no longer accept hollow condolences, tired speeches, or sterile press releases,” the statement read. “If the federal government continues to delay, deflect, or downplay this crisis, Nigerians will have no choice but to believe that this inaction is willful—or worse, complicit.”
As a response to the insecurity the region, the NEF demanded the immediate declaration of a State of Emergency on security in Northern Nigeria, urging the deployment of joint military and intelligence operations with a mandate to locate and eliminate all armed groups.
“The blood of Northern Nigerians is not cheap. Our soldiers are not cannon fodder,” the Forum emphasised. “We will not be silent. The North will not kneel before terror.”
It also warned of potential consequences should the federal government fail to act decisively, highlighting possible open resistance by citizens who feel abandoned.
“The legitimacy of any government that cannot or will not protect its citizens is gone. Enough is enough,” the statement read.
The recent attack in Niger State comes amid a surge in terrorist activity in some states across Northern Nigeria, raising concerns over the increasing frequency and coordination of assaults against both civilians and military personnel.
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