Northern elders’ political forum berates Marafa over call for U.S. invasion
Kola Oyelere, Kano
The Northern Elders’ Political Forum has slammed former Zamfara Central Senator, Kabiru Marafa, for calling on the United States to invade Nigeria over worsening insecurity, describing the remark as “reckless, unpatriotic, and a threat to national stability.”
In a communiqué issued after its annual meeting in Birnin Kebbi on Monday, the Forum’s National Coordinator, Malam Yusuf Abubakar, said Marafa’s comments were “ridiculous” and amounted to a direct invitation to anarchy.
According to Abubakar, “any Nigerian, regardless of social or political status, who makes such a statement should be subjected to psychiatric evaluation to determine their mental fitness.” He urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately arrest and interrogate the ex-lawmaker for alleged incitement capable of undermining the nation’s sovereignty.
The Forum also appealed to political leaders and Northern governors to deepen collaboration in tackling insecurity and poverty rather than politicising the challenges confronting the region.
It further called on security agencies to probe politicians in Zamfara, Kebbi, and Katsina States accused of sponsoring media propaganda and disseminating fake news that could heighten tension in the North.
Abubakar commended the Federal Government for ongoing military operations under Operation Fasan Yamma, stressing that sustained, intelligence-driven interventions were crucial to restoring peace across the region.
He also urged traditional and religious leaders to continue offering prayers for national stability and dismissed calls for the removal of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, describing such demands as “unnecessary and counterproductive.”