The Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, says the failure to understand the grievances that pushed armed bandits to take up weapons is one of the major factors worsening insecurity across northern Nigeria.
In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored by our correspondent in Kaduna, Governor Yahaya revealed that the 19 northern governors have agreed to establish a joint regional security coordination agency, with each state contributing ₦1 billion monthly to strengthen collective responses to kidnapping, banditry, and school closures.
This decision was reached during the Northern Governors’ meeting earlier in the week, following a surge in attacks that have led to mass abductions and the shutdown of schools in several states.
Speaking further, Governor Yahaya explained that part of the security deterioration stems from the unjust treatment and marginalisation of pastoralist communities, which created anger, frustration, and conditions exploited by criminal networks.
He emphasised that addressing the root causes—including exclusion, lack of justice, and economic hardship—remains central to ending the conflict.
The governor added that the new regional security framework will improve intelligence-sharing, joint operations, and preventive strategies across the affected states.
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