The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar lII, on Wednesday called on all northern stakeholders to close ranks against the scourge of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, declaring that security is a collective responsibility.
Speaking at the joint meeting of Northern traditional rulers and governors in Kaduna, the Sultan said the region could only overcome insecurity through unity and collaboration among governments, security agencies, traditional institutions and citizens.
“Security is everybody’s responsibility. It’s not just for security agencies alone, or the governors alone, or traditional rulers alone. It’s everybody’s responsibility. We need to really come together and fight this menace of terrorism, abduction and whatever it is to the best of our ability,” he said.
He described the inauguration of the Board of Trustees to drive the North’s security intervention as a significant step towards finding lasting solutions to the region’s security challenges.
The Sultan said the board, made up of respected personalities from across the 19 northern states, would bring a practical approach to addressing insecurity.
“We’ve been talking and talking and talking through various papers. But today, with the inauguration of this committee, we believe we are ready to really start the job properly,” he said.
He added that the traditional institution would give the committee its full backing, assuring members that they could always rely on the support and local knowledge of traditional rulers.
“Reach out to us any time of the day you want to talk to us. We will give you free consultation. We know the people, we know where we live, and we are ready 100 per cent to walk hand in hand with you.”
The Sultan also stressed that the fight against insecurity must transcend religious and ethnic differences, saying unity remained the North’s greatest strength.
“This is a source of unity for us. It comes from all the 19 northern states to serve in one body. We believe once you are united, you will be more focused. Unity is the most important thing,” he added.
The sultan recalled that northern traditional rulers had consistently warned against violent extremism, noting that the council had submitted recommendations on tackling insecurity to the Northern Governors’ Forum as far back as 2014.
“We never supported it. As Muslims, we never supported such things. We kicked against it so many years ago. We gave that paper in 2014… Today is the realisation of the day we believe will kick off the real hard work of bringing peace to the North.”
The Sultan urged governors to provide sustained funding for the new security initiative, saying no meaningful intervention could succeed without adequate resources.
“Nothing can be done without funds. You still have a lot to do to support this Board of Trustees.”
He expressed optimism that with unity, commitment and divine support, the region would overcome its security challenges.
“There is nothing impossible when you believe in Almighty Allah. We do the best we can and leave the rest to Him. We have taken our case to Almighty Allah to help us in this journey.”
Yayale, Agwai lead Northern security fund board
The Northern governors had earlier appointed a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Yayale Ahmed, and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd) as co-chairmen of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF).
The board was inaugurated on Wednesday in Kaduna during the meeting, with former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya (rtd), and other prominent northern stakeholders appointed as members.
The NNSTF was designed to mobilise resources, enhance security coordination and strengthen intelligence collaboration in support of federal security agencies.
Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the trust fund would provide a platform for mobilising resources, strengthening intelligence sharing and supporting security agencies in the fight against insecurity.
He described the inauguration of the board as the first major milestone in fulfilling the governors’ commitment to confronting the worsening security situation across the North.
“Today’s inauguration of the Board of Trustees marks the first major step towards actualising the forum’s commitment to tackling the ravaging insecurity across our region in a more organised, coordinated, sustainable and accountable manner,” Yahaya said.
The governor said the 19 states had earlier agreed in Kaduna and Abuja to establish the fund after recognising that the security challenges confronting the region required urgent and collective action.
While acknowledging the constitutional responsibility of the federal government for national security, Yahaya said northern states must complement federal efforts through improved intelligence gathering, community resilience and regional cooperation.
He warned that the fund must not become another bureaucratic structure but should deliver measurable improvements in security coordination, rapid response and protection of lives and property.
“Our people are looking for action, protection, stability and hope. The success of this fund will be measured by improvements in security coordination, intelligence sharing, rapid response and the protection of lives and property,” he said.
The governor disclosed that the 19 northern states and their local governments had agreed to contribute N1 billion monthly for one year to finance the initiative.
He urged states that were yet to fulfil their commitments to redeem their pledges, while charging members of the board to ensure transparency, accountability and prudent management of the funds.
Yahaya also reaffirmed the forum’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and commended ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture, including the proposed establishment of state police.
He, however, maintained that military operations alone would not end insecurity, stressing the need for greater investment in education, agriculture, youth empowerment, employment creation and skills acquisition.
Security fund initiated in 2025
Daily Trust had reported in December 2025 that northern governors agreed to establish the regional security trust fund to provide sustainable financing for joint security operations and intelligence-driven interventions.
Under the arrangement, each state and its local governments were expected to contribute N1 billion monthly, with deductions to be made at source under an agreed framework.
The decision was reached during a joint meeting between northern governors and traditional rulers in Kaduna, where leaders said the fund would strengthen coordinated security responses across the region.
However, only a few states had reportedly redeemed their pledges since the announcement, prompting Governor Yahaya to appeal to others to fulfil their financial obligations as the board was inaugurated.
Governor Yahaya disclosed that Nasarawa, Gombe, Borno, Kebbi and Kaduna states had commenced payment of their N1 billion monthly contributions to the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund, while urging other states to fulfil their commitments.
The NGF chairman was reported to have disclosed the names of those states in March 2026 while speaking at the opening session of the forum’s meeting in Abuja.
Northern governors, traditional rulers back state police
Northern governors and traditional rulers have thrown their weight behind the establishment of state police, describing it as a critical step towards addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
In a communiqué issued after their joint meeting in Kaduna, the leaders said worsening insecurity was pushing the region towards a critical stage and required urgent coordinated action.
They commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly for beginning the constitutional process towards creating state police.
The forum expressed confidence that properly trained and equipped state police formations would improve internal security and strengthen community-level policing.
The leaders also expressed support for the newly inaugurated NNSTF board and urged members to discharge their duties with diligence, fairness and independence.
They called on all states to sustain their financial commitments to the fund and urged traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to support the initiative.
Beyond security operations, the forum identified poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and the rising number of out-of-school children as major drivers of insecurity.
It, therefore, resolved to increase investment in education, agriculture, youth empowerment and livelihood programmes.
Security funding not complete solution to insecurity – Gen Muhammad
Retired Major General Umar I. Muhammad has cautioned that the NNSTF should not be viewed as a complete solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.
He described the governors’ decision to contribute financially towards security as a positive step, saying it showed recognition of the scale of the problem.
According to him, insecurity in the country was too widespread to be solved by a single intervention.
According to him, the fact that they have realized there is a security problem and have decided to do something about it is a good sign.
“Even that itself is a good thing. It’s a good sign that they at least realized that the problem is big, and they need to contribute,” he said.
Back initiative with action, not promises, Northern govs told
Mohammed Ali, a Kaduna-based security expert, has called on the Northern governors to ensure that the proposed security trust fund becomes a reality through sustained commitment and adequate funding, rather than remaining a mere announcement.
Speaking on the initiative, he recalled the historical efforts of Northern governors in establishing trust funds, particularly the educational trust fund launched in 2003 during a meeting chaired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at Aso Rock.
According to him, the governors had agreed to contribute three billion naira to address educational challenges and provide free and affordable education from primary to tertiary levels across the region.
However, he noted that the commitment was not fully realised, with only the late president Umaru Musa Yar’adua, who was then Governor of Katsina State, fulfilling his pledge.
He stated that Yar’adua not only paid the agreed contribution but also donated the School of Remedial Studies of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, located in Funtua, as his contribution toward improving education in Northern Nigeria.
The security expert stressed that while it is easy to make public declarations in response to the worsening security situation in the North, the major challenge remains translating such commitments into concrete action.
He, however, commended the governors for their choice of leadership for the initiative, describing the appointment of General Martin Luther as chairman and Yayale Ahmed as co-chairman as a positive step.
He described General Luther as a seasoned military professional with the experience needed to address security challenges, while Ahmed was praised as an experienced technocrat and former Secretary-General of the Federation whose administrative expertise would complement the military perspective.
Previous regional fund initiative
The Northern States Governors’ Forum had in 2019 launched a N6 billion regional economic recovery fund aimed at supporting development and reviving industries in the region.
The then chairman of the forum and former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, said the initiative was designed to promote economic independence and revive sectors such as textiles and the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC).
Under the arrangement, each of the 19 states was expected to contribute N50 million monthly for six months. But nothing was heard about the funds generated and whether it was used for any development projects in the region.
The forum had also introduced measures aimed at addressing insecurity, including legal reforms targeting kidnapping, cattle rustling, communal clashes and other criminal activities. It would be recalled that there was also an arrangement by the North-West states under the past administration,where money was supposed to be donated by each state to tackle the insecurity in the sub-region. However, it was gathered that, that agreement collapsed due to lack of commitment by some state governors in the region.
Security challenges facing Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria has faced prolonged security challenges since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009, particularly in the North-East, where thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States.
The North-West is battling banditry, kidnapping and other attacks by criminal groups, affecting states including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi.
In the North-Central, states such as Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi have continued to experience kidnappings, communal violence and farmers-herders conflicts.
Despite ongoing military operations and interventions by state governments, insecurity remains one of the region’s biggest challenges.
Why North should support Tinubu – Uba Sani
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged northern Nigerians to continue supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the administration had demonstrated commitment to the region through interventions in infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, energy and security.
Speaking during the meeting, Sani said cooperation between the federal government and states had produced progress despite existing challenges.
“The North is ready to continue working in partnership with the federal government to build a more secure, prosperous and united Nigeria,” he said.
List of Security Trust Fund board members
Alhaji Mahmoud Yayale Ahmed (Co-Chair)
General Martin Luther Agwai (Co-Chair)
Members
1: Lt Gen. Umar Farouk Yahaya (rtd) State: Sokoto | Last Position: Former Chief of Army Staff
DIG Hafiz Mohd Inuwa (rtd), State: Jigawa | Last Position: Deputy Inspector General of Police i/c Research & Statistics Force HQs
AVM Kabiru Aliyu (rtd), State: Taraba | Last Position: Director of Sports, Defence HQs
Prof. Usman Tar State: Borno | Last Position: Commissioner for Security, Borno State
Others are 5. AVM Napoleon Bali (rtd) State: Plateau | Last Position: Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Maj. General A. M. Dikko (rtd) State: Niger | Last Position: National Coordinator, National Center for Control of Small Arms & Light Weapons,
AIG Sunday Babaji (rtd) State: Gombe | Last Position: AIG FCID Annex Kaduna
AVM Farouk Omeiza Umar (rtd) State: Kogi | Last Position: Chief of Policy and Plans, Defence HQs
Maj. Gen. Muhammad Sani (rtd) State: Kano | Last Position: Chief of Army Standards & Evaluation
Muhammad Mujtaba Isa State: Zamfara | Last Position: Former Head of Service
Alh. Adamu Tanko Umar State: Nasarawa | Last Position: Chief Superintendent of Customs (rtd)
Malam Abubakar Mustafa State: Kaduna | Last Position: Retired Head of Service
DIG Sani Usman Mohammed (rtd) State: Bauchi | Last Position: Chief Security Officer, Bauchi State
Maj-Gen. Bello Sarkin Yaki (rtd) State: Kebbi | Last Position: Coordinator, Counter Terrorism Center, Office of the National Security Adviser
Barr. Boss Mustafa, CFR, State: Adamawa | Last Position: Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation
Alhaji Falalu Bawale State: Katsina | Last Position: Head of the Civil Service, Katsina
Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Bolakala Agbab (rtd) State: Kwara | Last Position: Chief of Staff, 82 Division, NA
Maj. Gen. John Seyina Malu (rtd) State: Benue | Last Position: Chief of Defence Standards and Evaluation and
IGP Usman Alkali Baba (rtd). State: Yobe| Last Position: Inspector General of Police