By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com | posted 16th April, 2025
The Northern Traditional Rulers Council (NTRC) met on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital for its Seventh Executive Committee Meeting and expressed its determination to help their governors combat rising insecurity in the region by offering alternative options.
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The Chairman of NTRC, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, disclosed the new resolve in his opening remarks at the Maiduguri convocation, under the theme: “Enhanced Security As A Panacea For Stability and Development of the North”, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN.
The remarks by the Sultan of Sokoto, underscore a deep and growing frustration with the persistent insecurity across Northern Nigeria. His message is both a spiritual and moral appeal—rooted in leadership accountability, unity of purpose, and the urgency of ending needless bloodshed.
In simple terms, he was declaring that “enough is enough” and insisting that traditional rulers will speak with one voice. He emphasized the need for a united front—not only among traditional institutions but also between them and state governors.
The Sultan’s message challenges political leaders to move beyond words and to act decisively using the resources available, especially the security apparatus of the nation.
He reminds governors that they are answerable to God for their leadership, subtly urging them to remember the weight of their office beyond politics. He highlights a growing fatigue with the repetition of condemnations and calls for action, suggesting that statements of sympathy or outrage must translate into results. Rather than finger-pointing, he called for unity across all leadership strata in the North.
“We will be speaking with one voice to say enough is enough of this senseless killing of innocent people, across the north, across the country.
We have never and will never support it. We never feel happy about it, we are also sad whenever we hear such things. And we have received so many statements of condemnation.
“How many more times do we need to condemn it before our political leaders use our security agencies to bring to an end or at least to bring to barest minimum the killings in our country,” he asked?
The sultan said that traditional rulers would not get tired of calling the leaders to do what they believed must be done to upload the burden of responsibility given to leaders by the Almighty God.
“Every governor will account for what he did in his tenure and Sultan will not be there to defend him before God,” Abubakar said.
He, however, said it was not good enough for the people to be trading blame over the insecurity challenges and other related problems in the region.
“I think it is high time we stop making comments that insinuate that certain people are the cause of our problem, no.
“We are the cause of all our problems. If we want to resolve the problem in the north as leaders we can do so.
“How? We will sit together and take the issues up and solve them one by one from the governors, the traditional leaders to religious leaders, to the common man on the street what he should do to help the security agencies, the governors and political leadership and all to bring to the barest minimum these killings.
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“I believe we can do so, we have to look at other options. If we try one, two, three and we have not succeeded then let us try four, five, six, seven and then definitely we will succeed.
“What I mean is that bring in traditional institutions from day one and share with them what you want to achieve, then you will see how successful you will be in your governance for any state or local government.
“I believe we know the importance of some of these things. And I believe we have what it takes to bring to barest minimum insecurity in our country.” Abubakar insisted.
The sultan said that the insecurity problem was not limited to Nigeria but a global problem which could only be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy and by using arms.
“The number of people being killed daily in advance countries are more than the number of people killed put together in Nigeria monthly or in two months.
“For example, what happened in Plateau yesterday (April 14) and also within the week, over 100 people were killed in Plateau.
“Many people just appeared from somewhere and then killed people and went away and they were never arrested.
“Before then people were killed in Sokoto on Sallah day; People were killed in Kebbi; people were killed in so many other places.
“The number of people killed in the last one month is so high and not only in Plateau, and not only in Borno and not only in Sokoto but in so many other places.
“We are more concerned with the situation in our country than every politician because before the 1914 Amalgamation, bringing the North and the South to formed Nigeria our fore fathers where running the affairs of the present-day Nigeria.
“Everybody knows the Kanam-Borno empire; of course, the Sokoto Caliphate; of course, the Oyo empire; of course the Benin Kingdom all of them exist before Nigeria and that is why we as traditional leaders we feel bad, we feel saddened when we see our people being killed by other people whom we don’t know” he said.
“I think is important for us to work harder and talk to ourselves and in the closed session we will do that and we must come out with what we believe will give advice to our political leaders,’” Abubakar said.
He prayed to God to guide the political leadership to the right path toward restoration of the pass glory of the olden days of the peaceful northern states and promised to work with them to ensure peace and tranquility in the entire northern states.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima while declaring the meeting open, expressed the Federal Government’s determination to work with the sub-national government and the traditional institutions to address security challenges in the country.
Shettima, who was represented by Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno also commended the efforts of the security agencies in tackling the security challenges as it were and urged them to redouble their efforts.
Earlier, in his remarks the co-host, Zulum highlighted security and peacebuilding, agriculture and youth empowerment as the critical pillars of sustainable development in the region.
“Our youth population is large, energetic and eager to contribute, but many are without opportunities.
“This vacuum is dangerous. We must invest heavily in skills acquisition, vocational education, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship.
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“Empowered youths are not only less vulnerable to crime or radicalisation, they become active agents of development,” he said. (NAN)
Observers are agreed that this Maiduguri meeting is a significant moment because traditional rulers still hold immense influence in many Northern communities. Their involvement in security discourse can complement state mechanisms—particularly in intelligence gathering, community mobilization, and conflict resolution.