The renewed surge in violent criminal activity and mass abductions targeting citizens in Northern Nigeria has prompted a sharp rebuke from Shehu Sani, the former Senator for Kaduna Central.
Sani’s comments, published on Thursday, the 27th of November, 2025, via his X handle, directly confront the persistent suggestion that the perpetrators terrorizing the region are foreign fighters.
The statement comes in the wake of severe security incidents that have garnered national attention. These include reports concerning the kidnapping of over 200 schoolchildren from a Catholic private institution in Niger State (with approximately 50 having subsequently escaped and rejoined their families), alongside the earlier abduction of at least 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State who have since regained their freedom.
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Dispelling any idea of external influence being the primary cause, the former lawmaker insisted that the crisis is an internal one rooted in the Northern demographics. He first addressed the actors in the Northeast, stating plainly: “The terrorists killing people in the north-eastern part of Nigeria are not from Congo; they’re not from Malawi. They’re northerners, and they’re Muslims.”
Turning his attention to the crisis in the Northwest, Sani characterized the banditry as a local challenge perpetrated by regional actors. He concluded his commentary with a pointed call for Northern leadership to take ownership of the security failures: “The bandits in the north-western parts of Nigeria are not from Senegal; they are Fulanis from the north-west of Nigeria. It is for us to solve the problem. When will the north address this problem?”