Northern governors and traditional rulers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a six-month suspension of mining activities across the North, describing it as a necessary step to disrupt criminal networks and curb the escalating wave of banditry.

At a joint meeting in Kaduna, the 19 governors and leading traditional rulers also agreed to establish a N1 billion monthly Northern Security Trust Fund, reaffirming their collective push for the creation of state police.

The session, held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House under the auspices of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, focused on what leaders described as a worsening insurgency that continues to sweep through most northern states.

Reading the communique, Gombe State governor and NSGF chairman, Inuwa Yahaya, said the leaders had traced a significant portion of the region’s insecurity to illegal mining, which he said was empowering armed groups, bankrolling criminal gangs and destabilising rural areas.

They further urged President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to subject all mining licences to a six-month revalidation audit.

Yahaya expressed deep worry over the surge in killings and mass abductions in states such as Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano, as well as renewed Boko Haram activities in Borno and Yobe. He offered condolences to families affected by the recent violence.

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He also commended the President for rapid rescue efforts that have led to the freedom of kidnapped children, and applauded security agencies for their sustained battles against insurgents and bandits. Yahaya stressed that the North remained committed to every effort aimed at dismantling criminal groups.

The governors and traditional rulers also reinforced their support for state police and urged federal lawmakers from the region to fast-track the constitutional alterations required to make it a reality.

According to him, “The forum collectively resolved to work closely with the Federal Government under President Tinubu to turn the tide and ensure lasting peace and stability for our region and the nation.”

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The communique added that the planned Northern Security Trust Fund—financed through a N1 billion monthly contribution by states and local governments—would help coordinate regional responses, strengthen law enforcement and cut off key funding pipelines for armed groups, especially when combined with the proposed mining halt.

Yahaya noted that military action alone would not resolve the crisis, stressing the need for wider attention to underdevelopment, unemployment, poor resource management, illiteracy and the harsh effects of climate change.

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani criticised the current centralised policing structure, saying it was incapable of adequately policing “a nation of over 230 million people” with vast stretches of ungoverned territory.

He praised Yahaya for steering the forum with “exemplary leadership” and acknowledged the critical role of fellow governors and traditional institutions.

Sani also cautioned political actors against exploiting insecurity for partisan gain, warning of a “troubling trend” in national discourse.

He said: “We must resist this behaviour. We have a President who understands the North, values the North, and consistently demonstrates respect for our perspectives.”

Speaking for the traditional rulers, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged governors to “double their efforts” in confronting escalating security and socio-economic challenges.

He added: “As leaders, we need to really tell ourselves the truth. But I want to assure you — we are 100 per cent with you in this drive to make the North a better place, because we don’t have any other place to be.”