The Arewa Cohesion for Peace, Unity and Development Initiative, ACI, has appealed to the federal government to act beyond rhetoric on the killings, kidnappings, and destruction of livelihoods in the northern region, arguing that insecurity must no longer be met with empty statements.
The Director General of ACI, Dr Abdullahi Idris, while addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday, to mark the 2025 International Day of peace said, it rejets division, insisting that diversity must be celebrated, grievances addressed constructively, and communities brought together in mutual respect.
“For centuries, northerners have lived side by side across faiths, ethnicities, and cultures. We cannot allow selfish politicians or profiteers of conflict to trump brothers against brothers. Dialogue must replace exclusion.”
He warned that history would not forgive Northern leaders if they fail to act decisively to halt the wave of killings, kidnappings and violent conflicts plaguing the region, noting that silence and selective engagements by leaders have worsened insecurity across states such as Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau and Benue.
He noted it was disturbing that while armed groups continue to terrorize communities, some elites prefer staging flamboyant ceremonies instead of convening serious, solution-driven summits to end the crises.
“The time for complacency is over, the time for action is now, history will not forgive inaction when action was most needed.”
Idris said the group was particularly worried by what it described as the refusal of security agencies to act decisively on intelligence at their disposal, leaving state governors handicapped and citizens abandoned.
He further called on Northerners to reject division, stressing that for centuries, people of diverse faiths and ethnicities had lived peacefully side by side.
The ACI Director General said peace must also be defined as the presence of justice, opportunity and dignity, not just the absence of conflict.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Northern governors to rise to the urgency of the moment by visiting victims, empowering security agencies to act on credible intelligence, and demonstrating real leadership.
Idris added that ACI would continue to mobilise enlightenment campaigns across the North to promote good governance, active citizenship and community-driven peacebuilding.
He advised, “Today, our call is clear: Act Now for a Peaceful North. Act Now for a Peaceful Nigeria. Act Now for a Peaceful World.”
