Insecurity: Abdulsalami to chair Northern coalition roundtable discussion

From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja

Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, would chair a two-day roundtable discussion organised by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) to discuss the rising wave of security challenges in the country, especially in the north.

The National Coordinator of CNG, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, at a press conference, in Abuja, yesterday, said the roundtable would take place January 24 and 25 at the Nigerian Army Resource Center in Asokoro, Abuja.

“For the past two decades, Northern Nigeria has been grappling with a series of security challenges that have inflicted immense suffering on its people. The region has become a breeding ground for insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and various other criminal activities.

“The lack of political will and capacity to effectively contain these challenges has created a vacuum, leaving thousands dead, countless displaced, and numerous communities destroyed. Recognising the urgent need for a change in approach, the Coalition of Northern Groups took a bold and necessary by assembling a committee of security experts.

“This committee which has been working for the past three months, examined the inadequate response to the security crisis, highlighting the absence of synergy among security agencies, the lack of cooperation between the states and federal government, and the neglect of public involvement in combating these issues.”

He said various committees, including a sub-technical committee on security and a planning committee on security, have been formed to oversee the event.