Northern governors and traditional rulers on Monday called for a six-month suspension of mining activities across the region, blaming illegal mining for exacerbating insecurity in several states.
The resolution was announced in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna. The meeting was chaired by Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, and attended by all 19 northern governors and the chairmen of their respective traditional councils.
The communiqué expressed concern over escalating violence in parts of the North, including killings and abductions in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe. It described attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens as “unacceptable tragedies” requiring urgent collective action.
The governors commended President Bola Tinubu for the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats and lauded security agencies for their sacrifices.
A major highlight of the meeting was the renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing is necessary. “The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué stated, urging lawmakers to expedite action for its actualisation.
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On illegal mining, the forum said criminal mining networks were fueling violence and providing resources to armed groups. As a corrective measure, the governors requested that the President direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.
To strengthen regional security, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund, in which each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1 billion monthly. The fund is expected to provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions, and coordinated security responses.
The communiqué concluded by reaffirming the region’s commitment to unity, cooperation, and peer review as essential to overcoming pressing security challenges, and announced plans to reconvene at a later date.