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The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has alleged a coordinated internal and external conspiracy aimed at plunging Northern Nigeria into deeper insecurity, accusing foreign interests, local collaborators, and political actors of fueling a dangerous propaganda narrative designed to destabilise the region.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi on Wednesday, the group said the recent wave of attacks across northern states carries “the fingerprints of a well-funded, well-timed and politically orchestrated agenda,” insisting that the violence is far beyond the usual banditry that plagues the region.
CNG accused the United States of being misled by what it described as dangerous and exaggerated genocide propaganda focusing on Plateau and Benue, while ignoring the far higher casualty figures recorded in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi, Borno and other northern states.
Charanchi said it is deeply disturbing that U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to have fallen for misinformation “not supported by the CIA, FBI or even the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria,” noting that Trump’s special envoy on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, had already dismissed the genocide claims as unfounded.
According to the CNG, the spike in attacks appears timed to validate these foreign-backed narratives.
He said, “CNG is seriously disturbed that the recent escalation of attacks appears timed to validate these fictitious genocide claims and to prepare the international stage for hostile actions against Nigeria. These attacks are not random; they are deliberate attempts to give false narratives the appearance of truth.
“We therefore urge the Federal Government to recognise that Nigeria is confronting a premeditated internal and external conspiracy to destabilise the nation. The government must act decisively by identifying, exposing, and prosecuting all those both local and foreign, who manufacture and spread such toxic falsehoods, so that they serve as a clear deterrent to others who may wish to weaponise misinformation against Nigeria.”
The group said recent assaults on churches and Christian communities appear too conveniently aligned with external propaganda, raising questions about “who is pulling the strings and to what end.”
It warned that the North will not allow its tragedies to be weaponised for separatist, political, or foreign objectives.
CNG said this resurgence of violence has pushed the North backward, citing the closure of 47 Unity Schools and the shutdown of other institutions across Katsina, Niger and Kwara as evidence of a collapsing security environment.
It explained that authorities have now resorted to closing schools in a region already burdened with the highest number of out-of-school children. This failure is too glaring to ignore.
CNG linked recent kidnappings in Kwara, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara to a broader political plot, insisting these are not isolated crimes but parts of a deliberate escalation.
It referenced the abduction of worshippers in Kwara, schoolgirls in Kebbi, and the kidnapping of 315 students and teachers in Niger State, alongside the murder of a Brigadier General, as evidence of a systematic and sophisticated assault reminiscent of previous mass kidnappings, including the Kuriga attack of March 2024.
The group also noted the kidnapping of 64 residents in Tsafe, Zamfara, coinciding with the visit of Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, describing it as a “clear message that insecurity is being weaponised.”
The coalition condemned what it described as “toxic misinformation” circulating on social media, including a viral video showing IPOB operatives allegedly disguising themselves as Hausa/Fulani attackers to trigger ethnic backlash.
It warned that such propaganda is part of a wider strategy designed to inflame ethnic suspicion and fracture Nigeria’s delicate unity.
The group issued a long list of demands to the Federal Government, holding the Tinubu administration directly responsible for what it called the persistent deterioration of security due to its incoherent and dangerously indifferent posture.
It demanded the exposure, arrest, and prosecution of all sponsors of terrorism, local or foreign, including politicians, businessmen, clerics and compromised security officials.
It said, “The Government must also leverage on its intelligence to track and crack on the international conspirators, financiers and sponsors of these mass abductions as events of the last few weeks clearly showed sudden rise in school kidnappings despite successes recorded in the last few years.”
CNG further demanded that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu act decisively by deploying Service Chiefs to remain in affected theatres until terrorist networks are dismantled”.
It also called for the creation of a “high-powered monitoring and briefing committee” to ensure transparent and regular updates on the security situation.
It urged the Federal Government, state governments, and traditional rulers to harmonise their efforts and present a united front against the escalating crisis. The group reiterated the need to immediately shut and secure Nigeria’s porous borders to stem the influx of criminal elements and weapons.
