Northern Governors Advocate for Armed Herdsmen, Demand Government Payouts for Killers — Yahaya

By Ademola Adekusibe
6th December 2025

The Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, says the failure to properly understand and respond to the grievances that pushed pastoralists and armed groups into violence remains one of the key drivers of insecurity across northern Nigeria.

Yahaya stated this in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored by our correspondent. He explained that decades of marginalisation, limited access to justice, and economic frustration created conditions that criminal networks have continued to exploit, deepening banditry, kidnappings, and school attacks across the region.

The governor disclosed that the 19 northern governors have agreed to establish a joint regional security coordination agency to strengthen collective response to the crisis. Under the new arrangement, each state will contribute ₦1 billion monthly to the agency, which is expected to harmonise intelligence, improve rapid response capacity, and tackle cross-border criminal activities.

He noted that the decision was reached during the Northern Governors’ meeting held earlier in the week, following the rising wave of attacks that has led to mass abductions and the shutdown of schools in several communities.

According to Yahaya, addressing insecurity requires more than military force. He stressed that tackling the root causes, including exclusion, unfair treatment of pastoralist groups, and the lack of economic opportunities, remains central to restoring peace in the region.

The governor added that northern leaders are determined to adopt a more coordinated, long-term strategy that combines security operations with social and economic interventions.