Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called on the Federal Government to take more decisive and urgent measures to address the pervasive insecurity affecting Northern Nigeria and other parts of the country.
The Sultan made the appeal on Thursday during a town hall meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Sokoto. The event was held to sensitize the public on the mid-term achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts in reducing the cost of food and improving economic conditions, the Sultan emphasized that security remains the most pressing concern for Nigerians, particularly in the North West, where banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence continue to disrupt lives and livelihoods.
“We want to see our people living in their communities without fear. We also want to see them traveling safely on our roads from here to Abuja and other parts of the country without the constant fear of abduction,” the Sultan stated.
He was represented at the event by the Sarkin Yakin Gagi, Alhaji Umar Sani, who read his address. The Sultan specifically praised initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund NELFUND, which provides financial support to students in tertiary institutions, and commended both the federal and Sokoto State governments for infrastructure and education upgrades.
However, he insisted that more must be done to ensure the safety of citizens:
“We carefully monitor the progress recorded by the Bola Tinubu administration and the Ahmed Aliyu government, who have done extremely well in terms of infrastructure upgrade, education development, among others. But we are expecting more from them until we ensure that no single citizen will move in fear from Sokoto to Abuja, Sokoto to Kano, or to other parts of the country.”
The Sultan also urged Nigerians to remain prayerful and supportive of their leaders, noting that national development requires both effective governance and citizen solidarity.
In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammad Idris, announced that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government, has committed N7 billion to upgrade the education sector in the state.
The Sultan call aligns with growing appeals from regional and traditional leaders for enhanced security deployment, improved intelligence operations, and faster construction of critical infrastructure such as roads and communication networks to improve safety and connectivity.
The town hall concluded with a renewed commitment from both federal and state officials to accelerate ongoing projects and strengthen interagency cooperation to restore peace and stability across the region.