The Advocacy Centre for Development has raised alarm over the killing of 2,545 security officers and 17,886 civilians, and the abduction of 15,597 people between 2019 and 2023.

At a roundtable in Gombe State to mark the 7th National Day of Mourning, thenConvener, Ibrahim Yusuf blamed political leaders for the violence.

Yusuf criticized the misuse of the military in civil matters and called for an end to the rampant killings and abductions.

“The killing of security officers and civilians, as well as numerous abductions, reflects a clear lack of political will,” he said.

“The armed forces are deployed in all 36 states of Nigeria on internal security operations, thereby retrenching the constitutional role of the Nigeria Police Force. This is a constitutional anomaly. The rise in fatalities from military operations shows that the military is over-stretched. This cannot continue.

“Here in Gombe State, we have issues of farmer/herder clashes in some communities of the state during the rainy season and we are calling on the state government and the security agencies and the traditional institutions to do the needful, without fear or favour, by putting an end to the issues of unrest in the state,” he said.

He also highlighted the rise in violence against vulnerable groups, including women, children, and people with disabilities, noting the government’s apparent inaction.

Yusuf praised the creation of the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs and the inauguration of Operation Hattara and the Gombe Security Traffic and Environmental Corps by Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

The Advocacy Centre’s 10-point communique urged community involvement in providing accurate information to security forces and called for the reactivation of traditional institutions’ roles.

It also recommended the reintroduction of educational marshals to combat drug abuse and youth unrest, and asked religious leaders to preach peace and tolerance.

Additionally, the group advised social media operators to avoid spreading unverified information and highlighted the media’s role in promoting peaceful coexistence.

The roundtable emphasized the importance of unity across diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious communities in Nigeria.