The Northwest Youths Unity Forum (NYUF) has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the federal government to end the spate of killings, kidnappings, and forced displacement of communities across the Northwest region, warning that it will resort to all lawful means to demand accountability if the situation persists.
The position was contained in a communiqué signed by the Forum’s chairman, Murtala Ishaqa Jangebe, and made available to journalists in Gusau, Zamfara State capital.
The group called on the federal government to urgently deploy all necessary security and intelligence resources to halt the ongoing violence and bloodshed in the Northwest states within the 30-day window.
It also urged the federal government to formally designate and declare the Biram militia a terrorist organisation, alleging that the group is responsible for widespread killings, displacement of civilians, and destruction of property across affected communities.
According to the communiqué, the Northwest has continued to experience escalating cases of killings, rape, displacement of rural communities, cattle rustling, and kidnapping, with ransom payments reportedly running into billions of naira.
The forum further lamented that hundreds of communities have been deserted, forcing residents to take refuge in state capitals and local government headquarters across the region.
It added that major roads linking Northwest states have become unsafe for travellers, while many rural settlements have turned into “uninhabitable zones” due to sustained attacks.
The group also called on governors in the seven Northwest states—Jigawa, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Zamfara—to urgently recruit 2,000 Forest Guards each to strengthen local security architecture.
It said the proposed guards should be properly equipped with adequate operational tools to support existing security agencies in tackling banditry and other violent crimes across forests and rural communities in the region.
The NYUF warned that failure to address the situation within the ultimatum period would compel youths in the region to explore lawful but stronger measures to press home their demands.
