During a visit to the state to express sympathy and support to the people after the recent tragic flood tragedy in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Dalhatu delivered the warning on Thursday.

In the next five years, the existence of the entire region could be threatened by banditry and insurgency that have gotten out of hand in Northern Nigeria, according to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

The ACF’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Dalhatu, has expressed the Forum’s worry about the current state of insecurity in the North and issued a warning that the region’s survival is being threatened by banditry and general insecurity.

In response to the recent tragic flood tragedy in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Dalhatu issued the warning on Thursday while on a visit to express condolences and support with the people of the state.

According to Dalhatu, the North is in a very bad state with several crises, such as banditry in the North West, insurgency in the North East, and a host of other societal ills and difficulties in the North Central.

“Our situation is worsened by insurgency and banditry, which have even made it impossible for our people to go to their farms,” Dalhatu was cited as saying by Daily Trust.

There are now too many farmers without access to their lands, and we are not producing enough food to feed everyone.

“Social problems like Almajiri and begging have become widespread, and millions of youngsters are not attending school.

“It’s obvious that we are in danger when you take all of these problems into account at once.”

He cautioned that things might get worse and endanger the region’s existence even more if quick action is not done.

He declared, “The North West did not have bandits ten years ago.” Currently, though, banditry is a problem in almost every state in the region.

“If this trend is allowed to continue unchecked, we fear that within the next five years the situation will become out of control and threaten our very way of life.”

In addition to failing to produce any real achievements, Dalhatu underlined that the attempts undertaken in the last ten years to put an end to the insurgency have in some cases just made matters worse.

According to Dalhatu, the measures implemented in the previous 15 years have not only failed to contain the insurgency but have actually made matters worse.

Now that we are fully aware of the threat we are facing, acting will have disastrous results.

He said that the ACF has responded by assembling a group of skilled and informed specialists to carefully evaluate the circumstances.

Dalhatu claims that after their results are sent to the governors of the 19 northern states, the federal government would be contacted and asked to take immediate, decisive action.

Dalhatu gave his word that the ACF will make sure that practical and long-lasting solutions are applied this time.

“We are hopeful that the actions we propose will be far more effective, Insha Allah,” he stated. We think we can resolve these urgent issues if we apply the proper strategy and are determined.”