A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), has said insecurity in the North is responsible for 70 per cent of poverty in the North.
He said religious extremism is another major threat to security in northern Nigeria making Boko Haram, Lakurawa terrorists and bandits to unleash violence on the people.
The former Interior Minister stated this on Monday at the First Media and Security Summit held in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, with the theme ‘Existential Threats and National Security’.
He also said the high level of insecurity in Northern Nigeria has made bandits and insurgents to now lord over communities, tax and make laws for them.
He recalled that the insecurity issue in the region has been going on for over two decades, saying “people were killed in Katsina, Borno, Zamfara and Kano mosques. The North has suffered from herders’/farmers clash, terrorism and banditry.
“We have gotten to a situation where bandits and insurgents have taken some of our communities, taxing and making laws for them.
“Thousands have been killed and millions displaced. The number of widows and orphans has increased, and farmers have lost farms and herders’ cattle rustled without action from state actors,” he said.
He told northern governors to set up Ministry of Mineral Resources and liaise with relevant federal agencies to harness their natural resources, improve their revenue base to end poverty in their respective states and reduce the level of insecurity.
According to Danbazau, Northern state governments must restore the dignity of the traditional institution, improve agriculture, which the North is known for, address out-of-school children and embrace social inclusion to address the spate of killings occasioned by insecurity in the region.
Earlier, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, said security is everybody’s responsibility, adding that “we need to come together to talk with each other on how to solve this problem.
“We were not like this before; Nigeria was not what it is today. We can solve the problem by coming together and having understanding, and going ahead to implement the decision we reached to have peace.”
According to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, the North needs to unite to end the insecurity facing it.
“Insecurity in the North West is worrisome. The summit should look at the root cause of it, it may be due to climate change and other issues.
In his own submission, Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State said the summit would provide the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the North and find solutions to them.
