Tinubu Vows to End banditry in the North, says Nigeria cannot prosper while region “bleeds”
President Bola Tinubu says his administration is fully committed to ending terrorism and banditry in northern Nigeria, insisting that no part of the country will be allowed “to bleed while the federal government watches.”
Tinubu’s remarks were delivered on Saturday at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, who represented the president at the event.
The president acknowledged inheriting a “daunting” security landscape but reaffirmed his commitment to restoring peace and stability across the region. He also pledged to reverse the prolonged economic decline of the north, citing the anticipated crude oil production from the Kolmani fields and other emerging opportunities as catalysts for regional renewal.
“The north is facing one of the gravest tests in its history,” Tinubu said, describing the crisis as “a corrosion of security, a collapse of communal ethics, and a distortion of the moral compass that once held its communities together.”
He warned that Nigeria cannot make meaningful progress while a major region remains “paralysed,” stressing that peace in the north is indispensable to national stability and development.
Tinubu praised the Arewa Consultative Forum as “a reservoir of patriots, thinkers, moral leaders, and negotiators” who have defended the interests and dignity of millions over the years. He noted that the forum’s founders anticipated moments of national strain and built an institution capable of articulating the region’s aspirations.
Calling on northern leaders to embrace selflessness and accountability, Tinubu said leadership failure begins “the day leaders sleep comfortably while millions sleep hungry or move in fear across short distances.”
He maintained that hope is not lost despite decades of dysfunction, adding that the ethnic and religious diversity displayed at the ACF anniversary demonstrates the region’s readiness to rebuild unity.
