The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and other groups fear that the uncontrollable insecurity under the President Bola Tinubu government will soon metamorphose into a full-blown civil war that can destabilize the country
By Our Correspondent
The burial of Brigadier General Oseni Braimah and other killed military officers in Borno State on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, amidst flowing tears, defined Nigeria as a lawless society. General Braimah and other military officers were wasted by the Boko Haram terrorists and those of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) in a military base located in Benisheikh identified as 29 Task Force Brigade on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Tears flowed at the Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery, Maiduguri, Bomo State, as the remains of Brigadier General Braimah and several others were interred following their recent sacrifice in the line of duty.
The sombre ceremony, served as a national tribute to General Braimah, Captain Azubuike Esimai, and their subordinates, who were killed during insurgents ambush in Benesheikh town of Kaga Local Govemment Area of the state.
The abduction of the 14 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidates on Thursday, April 16, 2026 in a school in Benue State is regarded as one abduction too many.
Some armed men reportedly abducted 14 passengers, many of them believed to be candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State.
The victims were said to be travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, April 15 evening for their scheduled examination when the incident occurred.
The ill-fated vehicle, an 18-seater Benue Links bus, was ambushed by the gunmen a few kilometres from Otukpo town at about 7pm. At the time of filing this report, no serious effort on the part of the government has been made to rescue the abductees.
Commenting on the insecurity ravaging the country, the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has warned politicians across the country to shun violence, thuggery, and smear campaign, insisting that the integrity of the democratic process must not be compromised.
The group, at the end of its caucus meeting held at the Akure residence of its leader, Reuben Fasoranti, stressed that electioneering should be devoid of violence, thuggery, and character assassination. It urged political actors to embrace peace as campaigns approached.
The communiqué, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, stated that the meeting reviewed the evolving political landscape and expressed concern that rising tensions, if unchecked, could undermine national stability.
Beyond politics, Afenifere sounded the alarm over worsening insecurity, particularly in the South-west, describing the trend as deeply troubling.
It called on governors in the region to take more decisive actions to stem the tide of terror, including strengthening local security outfits and accelerating efforts towards the establishment of state police.
“Afenifere is seriously concerned about the increasing terror acts in Yorubaland.”
Amid these wanton killings, Pre
sident Bola Tinubu and his government appear to be chasing rats while the building is being ravaged by fire. Tinubu’s obsession, alongside his All Progressives Congress (APC), with the 2027 presidential election even while the country is burning with abductions and wanton killings, has made the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to submit that terrorism in Nigeria has become another civil war which can consume even Tinubu’s second term ambition if he did not take precaution.
The ACF declared on Wednesday, April 15, that Nigeria’s worsening security situation has escalated to what it described as a “state of war,” urging the Federal Government to urgently adopt extraordinary measures to address the crisis.
ACF’s alarm came on a day six soldiers and a woman were killed in fresh Boko Haram’s attack on a military formation at Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
This is even as a United States lawmaker, Kimberly Daniels, and a coalition of international diplomats also called on President Tinubu to review the country’s defence leadership, following a series of deadly attacks on Christian communities during the 2026 Easter celebration.
Rising from the 38th meeting of its Board in Abuja, the ACF in a communique issued at the end of the meeting, presided over by Chairman of the Board, Bashir Dalhatu, said Nigeria’s security challenges had gone beyond insurgency, banditry and communal clashes to a full-scale war, threatening its survival.
Other prominent northern leaders at the meeting included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; ex-Inspector General of Police, Mohammed D. Abubakar; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Yusufu Buratai; and former President of the United Nations General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, among others.
The ACF said, “The scale, persistence and human cost of violence demand a fundamental shift in national priorities,” stressing that the situation must be treated as an overriding national emergency.
The body lamented that hundreds of thousands of Nigerians had been killed or displaced across states, such as Borno, Plateau, Niger and Kwara, noting that the casualties also included members of the armed forces.
According to the ACF, the humanitarian toll of the crisis has left families shattered, livelihoods destroyed and communities traumatised, while the nation’s economy continued to suffer severe setbacks.
It further warned that insecurity was crippling agricultural activities, particularly in Northern Nigeria, disrupting supply chains and worsening inflation.
It said, “Redirecting national resources toward security is not a diversion from economic development; it is a prerequisite for it.
“Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads. The escalating security crisis threatens not just lives, but the very stability and future of the nation,” the ACF warned.
