The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has said the North has completely lost confidence in the Buhari government’s ability and capacity to secure the region from terror groups who no longer take governments threat seriously.
The group’s statement came in reaction to Buhari's recent directive urging the Nigerian military to deal mercilessly with bandits, in view of renewed and regular attacks on passengers along Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Spokesperson for the Coalition, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, while addressing journalists on Friday, said the ongoing insecurity in the North, has heavily impacted citizens, forcing many to abandon their settlements which in turn, weakens the North's political powers.
He accused the Buhari government of issuing countless empty threats to bandits, and orders that has little to no meaningful results.
"It was unacceptable for the people of the North to continue to live under this level of exposure to criminals who freely attack, kill, maim, rape, kidnap, burn villages and rustle cattle, while the President and security chiefs issue threats and promises that have no effect," the group said in the statement, stressing that the government has completely lost control of the region's forests and highways to armed criminals who roam freely and terrorise the population at will.
“While all northern states' governors have completely run out of ideas, the President and federal troops keep telling us that they are doing something about the daunting security situation, but by now all northerners must have realised that our communities have been abandoned to the mercy of unforgivable poverty and armed criminals that continuously waste the greatest asset of the region; its population, weakening us politically and pauperising the region economically.
“Enough of taking excuses and fake promises of action from an administration that runs from threats and acquired the reputation of being the worst in the history of our nation in terms of any capacity to generate confidence in its ability to achieve security of citizens’ lives and properties.
“All northerners are by now alarmed at the rising insecurity of communities and their properties with the escalation of attacks by bandits, rustlers insurgents and other assortments of armed criminals who roam towns and villages at will, wreaking havoc.
"It was no longer in doubt that the current federal administration and set of state governors have lost the capacity and necessary courage to discharge the vital constitutional duty that they swore to uphold.
"The situation is getting worse literally by the day, as bandits and insurgents take advantage of the huge vacuum in the administration’s political will and capacity to act which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals.
"The situation under which all northern communities live today is no longer tolerable, everyone must rise to protect themselves," the group stated.