ACF Chair Urges FG to Pair Force With Dialogue to Curb Insecurity, Cites Niger Delta Success Model

|By Adejumo Adekunle

Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Bashir Dalhatu, has urged the Federal Government to deploy a combined strategy of military force and negotiation to tackle persistent insecurity across northern Nigeria.

Dalhatu, who spoke on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, argued that the hybrid approach has produced measurable gains in other parts of the country. He pointed to the Niger Delta amnesty programme as a successful example of how structured dialogue, backed by firm enforcement, can reintegrate offenders and restore stability.

He explained that many bandits operate from a place of deprivation, lacking access to education and basic exposure to urban life. Dalhatu advised the government to extend “a hand of friendship” through engagement while making it clear that criminality would attract strict consequences.

He disclosed that northern communities remain sharply divided between supporters of an all-out military offensive and advocates of dialogue. However, he insisted that evidence from the field shows that combining both strategies has yielded progress.

Dalhatu said the Niger Delta model—built on rehabilitation, education and reintegration—offers lessons for the North, but warned that engagement must never be misinterpreted as tolerance for crime.

“Most of these bandits have not had the opportunity to go to school or enjoy what we ordinarily do in the cities,” he said. “Government must extend friendship but also make it clear that their actions are criminal, and those caught must be punished.”

He added that security forces already deploy a mix of military operations and controlled negotiations, noting that recent government interventions, supported by the public, have delivered some improvements.