The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged northern leaders to unite in the fight against banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, stressing that security challenges cannot be addressed by government and security agencies alone.
The monarch made the call on Wednesday at a joint meeting of northern traditional rulers and governors in Kaduna, where he emphasised the need for collaboration among state 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. We need to really come together and fight this menace,” the Sultan said.
He described the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund as a significant step towards addressing insecurity in the region, noting that the board comprises experienced individuals from the 19 northern states who would provide practical solutions.
“We’ve been 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 added.
The Sultan pledged the support of traditional institutions to the initiative, offering local intelligence, community engagement and continuous consultation to strengthen security efforts.
He stressed that the fight against insecurity must go beyond ethnic and religious divisions, describing unity as the region’s greatest asset.
The monarch recalled that northern traditional rulers had consistently spoken against extremism and had submitted recommendations to the Northern Governors’ Forum since 2014. He urged governors to sustain financial support for the initiative, warning that effective interventions require adequate resources.
Yayale Ahmed, Agwai Named Trust Fund Co-Chairmen
Earlier, the Northern Governors’ Forum announced the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd.), as co-chairmen of the trust fund’s Board of Trustees.
Other members of the board include former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya (retd.).
The trust fund is expected to mobilise resources, strengthen intelligence sharing, improve security coordination and support the efforts of federal security agencies in tackling insecurity.
Northern States Commit ₦1bn Monthly to Security Fund
Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, disclosed that the 19 northern states and their local governments had agreed to contribute ₦1 billion monthly for one year to support the initiative.
He urged states that were yet to fulfil their financial commitments to honour their pledges, stressing that the success of the fund would depend on accountability and measurable outcomes.
Yahaya warned that the initiative must not become another bureaucratic structure, saying its effectiveness would be assessed by improvements in security coordination, intelligence gathering and the protection of lives and property.
He also expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s security reforms, including the proposed state police framework, while noting that military operations alone would not resolve insecurity without investments in education, agriculture and youth empowerment.
The Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund was first agreed upon by northern governors in December 2025, although only a few states, including Nasarawa, Gombe, Borno, Kebbi and Kaduna, have so far maintained their monthly contributions.
The Sultan expressed optimism that through unity, commitment and collective action, the region would overcome its security challenges.
