JMA raises alarm over escalating bandit attacks, demands urgent action, intelligence sharing

Jamiyyar Matan Arewa (JMA), the umbrella body of Northern Nigerian women, has expressed deep concern over the renewed wave of violent attacks, mass abductions, and terrorist activities across several states.

Speaking to journalists in Kaduna after an emergency meeting of its national executive council and state chapters on Tuesday, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Mrs. Aishatu Pamela Sadauki, said the worsening insecurity, particularly the resurgence of banditry and kidnappings, has continued to plunge many communities in the North into grief, fear, and despair.

“We have watched with utter dismay and heartbreak as waves of vicious attacks sweep across several states in recent weeks,” she said.

Sadauki cited the November 17 attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 schoolgirls were abducted and a staff member killed, as well as the November 21 raid on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, where more than 300 students and a dozen teachers were taken.

“These are only the most prominent incidents,” she noted, adding that travellers, farmers and villagers have also been repeatedly targeted in states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Plateau and Benue.

According to her, “The abduction of these young schoolgirls in Kebbi State is particularly worrisome and utterly condemnable. It painfully reminds us of the Chibok girls’ tragedy… No child should ever be torn from the safety of a classroom or dormitory.”

She said the recent attacks appear calculated to destabilise the country and undermine years of progress.

“This renewed wave of banditry and terrorism is not merely criminal; it is a deliberate, calculated attempt to destabilise our beloved country… If left unchecked, we risk descending into the kind of prolonged anarchy… witnessed in nations like Sudan and Somalia,” she warned.

Sadauki stressed that the attackers are driven by greed, not religious or ethnic motives.

“Let us be unequivocally clear: The criminals perpetrating these heinous acts do not represent Islam, Christianity, or any ethnic group… Their victims cut across every faith and tribe… Any attempt to frame them as such is mischievous, dangerous, and plays directly into the hands of those who seek to divide us,” she said.

While rejecting any form of foreign interference that undermines national sovereignty, JMA called for structured international collaboration to combat transnational terrorism.

“Jamiyyar Matan Arewa calls for genuine international cooperation, intelligence sharing, capacity building, and collaborative efforts… but always on Nigeria’s terms and under Nigerian leadership,” she emphasised.

Sadauki commended the Nigerian Armed Forces, police and other security agencies for their sacrifices and recent successes, while urging them to intensify intelligence-led operations.

“We commend and praise the gallant men and women of the Nigerian Armed Forces… We are particularly encouraged by ongoing operations that have led to the rescue of victims,” she said.

She noted that while security agencies have recorded significant gains in the past two years, the fresh surge in attacks threatens to erode progress.

“We urge them to redouble their efforts and sustain the momentum,” she added.

Sadauki also extended condolences to the families of officers who lost their lives, saying, “Their blood shall not be in vain.”

The group urged Nigerians to avoid politicising insecurity and instead support security forces with information, resources and moral encouragement.

“This is not the time to exploit our pain for political gain… Unity is our greatest weapon,” she said.

The group also reaffirmed its solidarity with victims and families affected by the crisis.
“As mothers, sisters, and daughters of the North, our hearts bleed with yours,” Sadauki said, praying for the safe return of abducted students and an end to the violence.