Africa
Northern Nigeria Is Bleeding: When Will Our Leaders Wake Up -By Yasir Shehu Adam
The suffering is carried by the poor—the farmers, the traders, the students, the herders, the local communities that have been abandoned to their fate.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has once again expressed deep worry over the insecurity devastating Northern Nigeria, describing it as his “gravest concern” and a threat to the nation’s progress. His words were delivered in Kaduna through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. The President spoke boldly about rebuilding trust, restoring peace, and addressing the long-standing violence tearing the North apart.
But after all these powerful statements, one question remains:
What concrete actions have been taken to end the suffering of the ordinary Northerner?
For years, the North has been battling banditry, kidnappings, insurgency, mass abductions, killings, and fear. Villages have been wiped out. Farmlands abandoned. Schools closed. Children stolen. Women widowed. Families scattered. The poorest people continue to pay the highest price.
Yet, until today, Northern Nigeria is still bleeding.
WHERE ARE OUR LEADERS?
This is the question millions of Northerners whisper every day.
Where are the leaders we trusted?
Where are the traditional rulers, from the smallest village head to the biggest emir?
Where are the governors?
Where are the senators and members of the House of Representatives who claim to represent us?
Instead of seeing unity, strategy, and courage, what we see is silence.
What we see is politics.
What we see is power struggles.
What we see is leaders fighting for control of political parties, instead of fighting for the lives of their people.
Every day, innocent villagers are attacked.
Every day, travellers disappear.
Every day, families sleep with fear, not knowing if dawn will meet them alive.
Yet, many of those in positions of authority remain far from danger.
Their families are not in the villages being raided.
Their children are not in the schools being abducted.
Their homes are not in the communities under siege.
The suffering is carried by the poor—the farmers, the traders, the students, the herders, the local communities that have been abandoned to their fate.
HISTORY WILL NOT FORGET. ALLAH WILL NOT FORGET.
Leaders must remember: power is temporary.
Positions are temporary.
Life itself is temporary.
Where is former President Muhammadu Buhari today?
He has finished his time. He has answered for whatever he did—good or bad.
Every leader will face the same end.
A time will come when nobody will call you “Your Excellency.”
A time will come when your title will not save you.
A day will come when only your actions will speak for you before Almighty Allah.
To every Northern governor, senator, emir, representative, minister, and political leader:
Fear Allah.
Fulfil your duty.
Protect the people who trusted you with power.
Do everything within your capacity to save lives.
Because Wallahi, one innocent life lost due to negligence is a heavy burden on the Day of Judgement.
TINUBU HAS SPOKEN — BUT WORDS ALONE CANNOT SAVE THE NORTH
The President says his administration inherited complicated security challenges. That is true.
He says he is addressing them urgently. That is hopeful.
But the people want to SEE the results, not just HEAR promises.
The North cannot continue like this.
We need:
– A clear, aggressive, modern security strategy
– Genuine cooperation between states and the federal government
– Deployment of technology, intelligence, and community policing
– A strong crack-down on bandits, financiers, informants, and collaborators
– Protection of schools, markets, highways, communities
– Serious investment in job creation, education, and rural development
– Accountability for leaders who fail in their duties
THE NORTH IS BLEEDING. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
If the President is serious—and many hope he is—then let him show it through action.
Let Northern governors rise above politics.
Let traditional rulers become true protectors of their people.
Let lawmakers stop hiding in Abuja while their people die back home.
Let every leader understand that their power is a trust and a test.
Because the truth is simple:
National security affects everyone.
If the North is not safe, Nigeria is not safe.
If the poor cannot sleep in peace, then no leader deserves to sleep comfortably.
Time is running out.
Lives are being lost.
Communities are disappearing.
And history is watching.
May Allah guide our leaders, protect the innocent, and restore peace to Northern Nigeria.
Enough talking.
We need action.
Now.
Yasir Shehu Adam (Dan Liman)
Young Journalist & Writer
Bauchi, Nigeria