A group of prominent Nigerian figures, identifying themselves as Concerned Nigerian Leaders, have proposed the immediate creation of a Presidential Task Force on National Security.
They argue it should be granted “extraordinary powers” to coordinate an emergency response to the widespread killings and mass displacement afflicting the nation.
The proposal was made in a statement signed by a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, and others including Kadaria Ahmed and Frank Nweke. The group issued a stark warning, stating that the “nation was bleeding” and that “silence is complicity, while inaction is betrayal.” They called on the presidency, National Assembly, governors, and traditional rulers to unite behind this effort.
To illustrate the severity of the crisis, the leaders cited alarming statistics, noting that “in just two years, Nigeria has recorded at least 10,217 violent killings.” They made a sobering comparison to international conflict zones, pointing out that “parts of Nigeria are enduring wartime levels of slaughter, yet, we are officially at peace.”
The statement detailed the “chilling” devastation across various regions, from Benue State which has witnessed thousands killed and “over 450,000 displaced,” to Zamfara where residents are “paying criminal levies by phone under threat of mass killings.” They also warned of a resurgent Boko Haram in the North-east and relentless violence in the South-east.
At the core of the crisis, the leaders argued, is a brutal fact: “The Nigerian state has surrendered its monopoly on the legitimate use of force.” They expressed alarm at the “national silence” that follows each tragedy, calling it a “slow implosion of a nation.”
The proposed task force would work directly with the National Security Adviser and all relevant agencies to execute emergency measures and halt the violence.
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