The Northern Elders Forum has said the brutal killing of over 20 soldiers by terrorists in Niger State is a clear declaration of war against the Nigerian state and strong evidence of a security collapse in the North.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the forum condemned the attack, describing it as part of an unrelenting campaign of terror engulfing the northern region.
The soldiers were ambushed and killed in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State earlier this week.
NEF warned that the government’s inaction was pushing Nigerians to question its willingness or ability to protect its citizens.
It said, “More than 20 uniformed men, defenders of the nation, were slaughtered like animals by a gang of well-armed terrorists who launched a brazen, coordinated ambush that completely overwhelmed the base.
“This is not just an attack, it is a declaration of war against the Nigerian state, and the state is losing.”
The forum said the massacre showed how terrorist groups operate with near-total impunity.
NEF lamented that June 2025 had seen a wave of deadly attacks across several states.
“From Benue to Plateau, from Kwara to Kaduna, and from Zamfara to Sokoto, Borno, and now Niger, what we are witnessing is not mere insecurity, it is a war zone. It is mass murder, state failure, and the steady collapse of national authority,” it said.
The forum decried what it described as the government’s persistent failure to respond forcefully, saying the North was “under siege” while security forces remained largely absent.
“The Northern Elders Forum will no longer accept hollow condolences, tired speeches, or sterile press releases. Nigerians deserve visible, aggressive, and accountable action now,” it stated.
The forum also warned that continued government silence and inaction could be interpreted by citizens as either complacency or complicity.
“If the Federal Government continues to delay, deflect, or downplay this crisis, the Nigerian people will have no choice but to believe, rightly or wrongly, that this inaction is willful, or worse, complicit.
“The blood of Northern Nigerians is not cheap. Our soldiers are not cannon fodder. Our citizens will not continue to die silently while a complacent government watches from a distance,” the forum added.
