The West Africa Action Network on Small Arms, WAANSA, has urged northern governors to prioritize tackling insecurity and poverty over political activities ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Mr. Martin Igwe, WAANSA Regional First Vice President, made the call during a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Kaduna State Council, on Wednesday.
Igwe, who also represents Nigeria on WAANSA’s regional executive, warned that the northern region was “bleeding” due to rising violence, illegal arms inflow, and leadership neglect.
“Elections are for the living, not the dead.
“Our people are dying daily, yet leaders are more focused on 2027 politics than on protecting lives or rebuilding communities,” he said.
He cited Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kwara as among the worst hit states, attributing their insecurity to porous borders that facilitate arms smuggling and bandit infiltration.
Igwe expressed concern over the regional dimension of Nigeria’s security challenges, calling for stronger cross-border collaboration under the ECOWAS framework.
He urged the Deputy Senate President and Second Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Barau Jibrin, to lead efforts towards a regional joint security strategy against arms proliferation and transnational crimes.
Also read: FG revamps agricultural education to boost food security
“Nigerians are speaking from a near war situation. While towns may appear calm, rural communities are under siege. ECOWAS must rise to protect its citizens,” Igwe added.
He also linked food insecurity in the North to persistent attacks that prevent farmers from accessing their lands, noting that hunger fuels criminality.
“The more farmers are displaced, the more hunger increases, and with hunger comes desperation and crime,” he said.
Igwe further alleged that drug abuse remained a major driver of violent crimes, accusing some political actors of indirectly supporting drug networks that sustain insecurity.
“It’s a network that survives because it serves certain political interests,” he alleged, while calling on the media to help expose such syndicates.
Responding, the Chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdul Gafar Alabelewe, commended WAANSA’s advocacy and pledged the union’s support in promoting peace-focused discourse.
He described the visit as a sign of continued patriotic efforts towards peace and development and urged state governments to adopt Kaduna’s non kinetic approach to conflict resolution.
Alabelewe also called for stronger ECOWAS cooperation in securing regional borders and stabilizing West Africa.
NAN
