The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), on Saturday, expressed deep outrage over the brutal killing of more than 20 Nigerian soldiers in a terrorist ambush near Bangi, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, describing the attack as further evidence of a total collapse of security in Northern Nigeria.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, has been described by the forum as not just an isolated attack but a clear declaration of war against the Nigerian state, one which the state is steadily losing.

In a statement by NEF spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the forum condemned the massacre in the strongest possible terms. It declared that the North is “under siege” from terrorist groups who now operate with impunity across the region.

He said: “More than 20 uniformed men, defenders of the nation, were slaughtered like animals by a gang of well-armed terrorists who launched a brazen, coordinated ambush that completely overwhelmed the base. This is not just an attack; it is a declaration of war against the Nigerian state, and the state is losing.

“This barbaric assault is only the latest chapter in the ongoing bloodbath that has turned Northern Nigeria into a war zone throughout June 2025. From Benue to Plateau, from Kwara to Kaduna, and from Zamfara to Sokoto, Borno, and now Niger, what we are witnessing is not mere insecurity, it is an unrelenting campaign of terror, mass murder, and state failure.

“Entire communities are being wiped out, homes torched, lives shattered, and still, the killers roam freely, unchallenged, and unpunished.

“The truth is stark and undeniable: the Nigerian government has failed abysmally and consistently in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property. The North is drowning in blood, its people abandoned, while the security forces either cannot respond or are completely absent.”

He stressed that the NEF will no longer accept “hollow condolences, tired speeches, or sterile press releases,” insisting that Nigerians now demand visible, aggressive, and accountable action.

According to Jiddere, the forum demands the immediate declaration of a State of Emergency on security across Northern Nigeria, adding that, “This must be followed by decisive, joint military, and intelligence operations with the sole objective of locating and eliminating every single terrorist and armed group threatening our people, regardless of who shelters them or where they operate.

“The blood of Northern Nigerians is not cheap. Our soldiers are not cannon fodder. Our citizens will not continue to die silently while a complacent government watches from a distance.

“The NEF warns in the clearest possible terms that the continued federal inaction will provoke open resistance. The patience of our people has run out. The legitimacy of any government that cannot or will not protect its citizens is gone. Enough is enough. We will not be silent. The North will not kneel before terror.”