Former Senator, who represented Kaduna Central at the defunct 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has called on the northern political elite to confront the root causes of insecurity in the region rather than playing politics with the menace.
He accused northern leaders of exploiting the region’s security challenges for political gain ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Speaking yesterday during a courtesy visit by the Open Heart Foundation and the Women Empowerment Centre in Kaduna, Sani delivered a sweeping critique of the political hypocrisy of the Arewa leadership and the deepening insecurity that has plagued the northern region for more than a decade.
Specifically, he pointed to the Almajiri, mass illiteracy, poverty and underdevelopment in the region as some of the root causes of insecurity, and urged northern leaders to confront the situation headlong without further excuses.
The civil rights activist urged civil organisations and groups to hold the government accountable, warning them against becoming tools in political battles.
He noted that for 15 years, northern Nigeria had been a theatre of bloodshed, recounting attacks by terrorists and bandits across the North-East and North-West.
According to Sani, the region’s security collapse mirrors crises in neighbouring Chad, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, warning that insurgent networks now operate across West Africa “with increasing boldness.”
He listed the high-profile school attacks of the past decade; Bethel Baptist High School, Greenfield University, Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Jangebe, Yauri and others, noting that many victims spent years in captivity while leaders looked away.
Sani also blasted the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, who recently alleged that over N1 billion was paid to bandits by the current administration of Uba Sani.
While insisting that Kaduna was not yet safe, Sani said the current administration deserved credit for reduced religious tension and improved security in flashpoints such as Birnin Gwari.
Sani dismissed expectations that external powers would solve Nigeria’s security crisis.
“The United States will not save us. Europe will not,” he said.
