Northern governors have convened an urgent high-level meeting as escalating violence across the region deepens public fear and intensifies calls for decisive action.
The gathering is driven by concerns that the wave of killings, abductions, and attacks has grown beyond what individual states can manage, prompting the need for a unified regional response.
The leaders are meeting under the joint framework of the Northern States Governorsâ Forum and the Northern Traditional Leaders Council, marking one of their most critical engagements in recent years.
The emergency session is taking place at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna, where governors and traditional rulers convened on Monday for a closed-door meeting.
The Forumâs Chairman and Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Yahaya, is co-chairing the discussions alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saâad Abubakar III.
A senior government source familiar with the proceedings said the leaders are worried that banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping have intensified across many northern states in recent weeks.
âEveryone in the room understands that the situation is deteriorating faster than expected. That is why this meeting is necessary,â the source said.
Recent incidents include the abduction of at least 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State, who later regained their freedom after several days in captivity.
In Niger State, more than 200 pupils were taken from a Catholic-run school, with about 50 managing to escape.
Frequent farmer-herder clashes and attacks on rural communities have also resulted in casualties and displacement, worsening humanitarian pressures on state governments.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to shape new regional security strategies aimed at restoring stability and curbing the violent criminal activities threatening livelihoods across the North.
