Kaduna, December 2, 2025 – In an unprecedented show of regional unity, the 19 Northern Governors, traditional rulers, security chiefs, and religious leaders yesterday concluded a high-stakes emergency security summit in Kaduna with far-reaching resolutions aimed at ending the decade-long nightmare of banditry, terrorism and mass abductions ravaging the region.
At the end of the closed-door session chaired by Plateau State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Caleb Mutfwang, the leaders issued a strongly worded communiqué that has sent a clear message to Abuja: the current centralized policing architecture has collapsed and urgent, drastic measures are now non-negotiable.
Key Resolutions from the Kaduna Declaration:
Immediate Establishment of State Police
The summit declared the present federal policing system “obsolete and ineffective” and formally endorsed the creation of fully operational state police forces across the 19 northern states, with a call on the National Assembly to expedite the necessary constitutional amendments.
N228 Billion Northern States Security Trust Fund
The governors collectively launched a N228 billion special intervention fund to be domiciled in a new Northern States Security Trust Fund. Contributions will come from state governments, the Northern traditional institutions, private sector players, development partners and diaspora remittances. The fund will finance rapid recruitment and training of community-based vigilantes, procurement of drones, armored vehicles, communication gadgets and establishment of forward operating bases in identified bandit enclaves.
Six-Month Total Suspension of All Mining Activities
In a direct indictment of illegal mining as the oxygen sustaining armed groups, the summit demanded an immediate six-month moratorium on all mining operations – legal and illegal – across high-risk local government areas in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto and Kebbi states. The leaders accused foreign-backed syndicates of funding ISWAP, JNIM and Lakurawa terror cells through illicit gold and lithium trade.
Call for Prosecution of Terrorism Financiers
The communiqué specifically urged the Federal Government to unmask and prosecute high-profile sponsors of terrorism, including politicians, businessmen and traditional title holders who allegedly provide logistical and financial support to bandit groups.
The Trigger: A Wave of Mass Abductions
The summit was convened barely 72 hours after the November 28 attack on Government Science College, Kagara in Niger State where 303 students and staff were abducted – the single largest school kidnapping since Chibok in 2014. As of today, 50 students have managed to escape or been rescued, but 253 remain in captivity. Since mid-November alone, more than 400 Nigerians have been kidnapped for ransom across the North-West and North-Central zones.
Speaking at the summit, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal openly stated: “Illegal mining is the new oil that funds terrorism in the North. If we don’t shut it down completely, no amount of soldiers can stop these criminals.”
Nationwide Reactions on X
Within hours of the communiqué’s release, #NorthernSecuritySummit and #SuspendMiningNow became the top-trending topics in Nigeria on X, amassing over 180,000 posts in 24 hours. While many praised the governors for finally showing political will, others accused them of trying to usurp federal powers.
Popular analyst @FarooqKperogi tweeted:
“Northern governors finally admit what we’ve said for years – centralized policing is dead. But will Buhari-era service chiefs who blocked state police for 8 years now allow Tinubu to succeed where they failed?”
Another user, @ArewaYouthVoice, wrote:
“N228 billion is good, but where were these governors when billions allocated for arms under Buhari disappeared? We need transparency, not another slush fund.”
Federal Government Response
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed late Monday that President Bola Tinubu has received the Kaduna communiqué and will address the nation on the security situation “in the coming days.” Sources in the Villa say the President is studying the mining suspension demand alongside a separate report from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, which reportedly recommends a 90-day special military operation codenamed “Operation Flush Out” targeting mining sites used as bandit camps.
For millions of northern residents now living in fear – with hundreds of schools shut indefinitely and highways turned into death traps – the Kaduna summit marks the strongest regional pushback yet against insecurity. Whether Abuja will grant the far-reaching demands, especially the mining ban and state police, remains the question on every lip.
Clarion Newschannel will bring you live updates as the Federal Government responds to the Northern Governors’ ultimatum.
Reporting from Kaduna – Clarion Security Desk
Northern Governors Declare War on Banditry – Launch Historic N228 Billion Security Trust Fund, Demand Six-Month Mining Ban
