By Olufemi Aduwo

Sir: The Northern States Governors’ Forum’s claim that the security situation in the North has shown “measurable improvement” is a flagrant and mendacious absurdity, dripping with the self-serving cynicism of APC chieftains desperate to project competence ahead of the 2027 polls.

Far from any genuine progress, the facts expose a region still wracked by escalating violence.

According to the Global Terrorism Index 2026, Nigeria recorded the largest increase in terrorism-related deaths anywhere on earth in 2025, a 46 per cent surge to 750 fatalities with Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram responsible for over 82 per cent of the slaughter. The country now ranks fourth globally for terrorist impact, its jihadist resurgence unchecked.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) paints an even grimmer picture. Nigeria suffered 11,968 conflict related deaths in 2025 alone more than Syria, Yemen, and Iraq combined. In February 2026 alone, militants massacred between 162 and 170 civilians in Woro and Nuku villages, Kwara State, at least 71 perished in Niger State raids, 25 more were killed in twin Boko Haram attacks in Adamawa’s Madagali and Hong districts; and the latest Plateau State killings continue to shock the nation.

Against this backdrop, the governors’ complacent communiqué is not merely misleading, it is contemptible. While they trumpet “positive outcomes” from joint efforts, ordinary citizens continue to bury their dead under the twin shadows of banditry and jihadism.

This is not incremental progress, it is institutional denial masquerading as reassurance. The Forum’s statement is political theatre, unworthy of a crisis demanding honesty and accountability. Nigeria’s northern populations deserve far better than this cavalier disregard for verifiable truth.

Olufemi Aduwo wrote from Lagos.