ESCALATING MIDDLE BELT CRISIS TAKES CENTER STAGE AT CITIZENS’ DIALOGUE

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On Saturday, April 26, 2025, the escalating wave of terror in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region became the focus of urgent national attention as 77 groups — including civil society organisations, faith leaders, community heads, victims’ advocates, and concerned citizens — assembled virtually for a Citizens’ Dialogue organised by Middle Belt Concern (MBC).

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THEME: “DEFEATING TERROR IN THE MIDDLE BELT”

Themed “Defeating Terror in the Middle Belt,” the forum brought together voices from across the region who described a dire and deteriorating reality. Participants recounted two decades of relentless violence unleashed by heavily armed militant factions, resulting in the mass slaughter of tens of thousands, widespread displacement, and the forcible takeover of ancestral homelands.

Many speakers voiced frustration that survivors of these atrocities are routinely ignored by political leaders, only to be remembered during election campaigns when their votes are needed.

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STRONG CONDEMNATION OF LEADERSHIP DERSHIP FAILURES

In a sharply worded communiqué, participants condemned the persistent complacency and indifference of successive Nigerian presidents, singling out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to honour the constitutional mandate to protect Nigerian citizens.

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WARNING OF POTENTIAL GENOCIDE

As the dialogue concluded, a grave warning was issued: if urgent and decisive measures are not implemented, the Middle Belt faces the risk of slipping into full-scale genocide, fuelled by ongoing massacres, land grabs, and mass displacements.

Despite overwhelming evidence of heinous crimes, participants lamented that Nigeria’s security agencies have consistently failed to apprehend or prosecute prominent individuals and groups who have openly endorsed or rationalised acts of terror.

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CALL FOR CITIZEN SELF-DEFENSE

In a bold and historic resolution, the Citizens’ Dialogue declared that Middle Belt communities could no longer entrust their survival to a state that has repeatedly failed them. Affirming their God-given and constitutional right to self-defense, participants asserted that they would take active steps to protect their people and reclaim their lands.

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DEMANDS FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION AND TRANSPARENCY

The communiqué put forth a series of urgent demands, calling on government at all levels to immediately fulfill their duty to safeguard lives, halt the bloodshed, and — if necessary — solicit international intervention to prevent further catastrophe.

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Additionally, participants demanded greater transparency in the
management of security budgets by elected officials, condemned the targeting of victims and human rights defenders (notably highlighting threats against Bishop Wilfred Anagbe), and insisted that security institutions be held accountable for their actions.