Join our WhatsApp channel HERE for the latest Benue news and updates!
In a landmark show of unity, the 19 Northern governors and traditional rulers, on December 1, 2025, announced sweeping measures to combat the region’s spiraling insecurity, including the creation of a N1 billion monthly Regional Security Trust Fund per state and a renewed aggressive campaign for the establishment of State Police.
The far-reaching resolutions emerged from a crucial meeting of the Northern Governors Forum held in Kaduna, where Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia joined his counterparts in what he described as a collective resolve to safeguard the region from forces threatening its stability.
Key highlights of the new blueprint include:
– Each of the 19 northern states will contribute N1 billion monthly, deducted at source and complemented by local government councils, into a dedicated Regional Security Trust Fund to finance intelligence gathering, rapid-response logistics, technology acquisition, and community policing initiatives.
– A strong call for the establishment of State Police, backed by a directive to the 19 state assemblies to fast-track constitutional amendments that would make policing more localized, adaptive, and community-driven.
– A six-month suspension of all mining activities across the North, coupled with a complete revalidation of mining licences, aimed at dismantling illegal mining operations widely believed to be a major funding pipeline for banditry, terrorism, and other criminal networks.
Governor Alia stressed that the current scale of insecurity, driven by poverty, illiteracy, youth unemployment, and the erosion of community structures, can no longer be tackled by an overstretched and often distant federal policing system. He called for a holistic approach that addresses both the symptoms and root causes of violence.
The governors also directed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to enforce the mining suspension immediately, while commending ongoing military counter-terrorism operations and pledging deeper collaboration with security agencies.
In a poignant moment, the Forum extended heartfelt condolences to states recently hit by deadly attacks, including Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano, Borno, and Yobe, and praised the indispensable role of traditional rulers in conflict resolution and the preservation of communal values.
With these decisive steps, the Northern Governors Forum has signalled that the era of reactive measures is over. The region is now moving with urgency and coordination toward a future where peace, security, and development are no longer aspirations but realities.
