Middle Belt Forum Rejects Northern Security Trust Fund, Urges Governors To Prioritise State Security

Middle Belt Forum Rejects Northern Security Trust Fund, Urges Governors To Prioritise State Security

  • Metro
  • July 24, 2026
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The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has rejected the proposed Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF), calling on governors of Middle Belt states to withdraw from the initiative and channel security resources directly toward protecting their own states.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the forum reaffirmed its support for the creation of state police and other genuine measures aimed at combating terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and related violent crimes. However, it opposed the decision of northern governors to commit what it described as substantial monthly contributions to the regional security fund.

The forum's position comes after the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund on July 8, 2026.

According to the MBF, governors would achieve better security outcomes by investing the proposed contributions in strengthening security architecture within their individual states rather than pooling resources into a regional fund.

The group argued that the Middle Belt has borne the heaviest burden of insecurity in Northern Nigeria, citing years of deadly attacks that have left thousands of people dead, hundreds of communities destroyed, millions of hectares of farmland abandoned and countless families displaced from their homes.

The forum also alleged that throughout the prolonged violence, the Northern States Governors' Forum rarely spoke collectively to condemn attacks on Middle Belt communities or demonstrated solidarity with affected victims, despite what it described as some of the country's worst atrocities.

Expressing deep reservations about the trust fund, the MBF claimed that the initiative could serve interests other than its stated objective of improving regional security.

"The MBF believes that the idea of the NNSTF is a well-crafted design by the Sokoto caliphate and Borno Sultanate to raise funds to be deployed to promote their interest and those of the terrorists that the fund was supposed to fight," the statement said.

The forum further disclosed its intention to challenge the legality of the proposed deduction of ₦1 billion monthly from participating states for the security fund.

Instead, the MBF recommended that such resources be invested in community-based security initiatives, including strengthening local vigilante structures, improving intelligence gathering, acquiring modern communication and surveillance equipment, and enhancing emergency response systems in collaboration with recognised security agencies.

It also urged state governments to prioritise rebuilding communities devastated by violence, rehabilitating schools and healthcare facilities, compensating victims and ensuring the permanent resettlement of internally displaced persons.

The forum expressed concern that the regional fund could eventually be used to rehabilitate repentant terrorists and bandits while victims of attacks continue to receive inadequate support.
Maintaining that the Middle Belt did not create the terrorist groups and armed gangs responsible for insecurity across Northern Nigeria, the MBF argued that those with a better understanding of the origins of the criminal networks were in the core North.

It therefore called on governors of Middle Belt states to establish a dedicated regional security network focused on addressing persistent attacks on communities across the region.