A coalition under the banner of Concerned Nigerians for Human Security has petitioned former United States President Donald Trump, urging him to draw international attention to the escalating violence in Zamfara State and other parts of northern Nigeria.
In an open letter addressed to the U.S. leader, the group described the ongoing killings and mass displacement in Zamfara as “a humanitarian tragedy that demands urgent global response.”
According to the coalition, thousands of Nigerians including men, women, and children have been killed, abducted, or forced to flee their homes due to unrelenting attacks by armed groups.
“We write not just as citizens mourning the thousands whose lives have been brutally cut short across parts of northern Nigeria, but as people who recognize your important role as a global leader always ready to confront moral wrongs,”the petition read in part.
The coalition accused state authorities of gross negligence and mismanagement of security resources, noted that despite billions of naira budgeted for security, the situation in Zamfara continues to deteriorate. It described the crisis as a “total breakdown of leadership and accountability.”
In its appeal, the group called on President Trump and the U.S. government to impose visa restrictions on political leaders, including Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, as a form of international accountability.
“Leadership is a moral duty, not a personal luxury,”the statement said, adding that targeted sanctions would “disrupt the comfort derived from foreign refuge and compel responsibility at home.”
The petition emphasized that the violence in Zamfara is not driven by religion, but by systemic governance failures, corruption, and weak security management.
“These killings have no religious connection. Both Muslims and Christians have suffered devastating losses,”the group stated.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing efforts to deploy special forces and strengthen national security, the group stressed that federal intervention would remain ineffective if state leaders failed to act decisively.
The coalition urged the federal government to consider declaring a state of emergency in Zamfara State to restore order and rebuild affected communities.
“We are appealing for moral intervention and international support to end the cycle of killings and displacement in Zamfara and across northern Nigeria,”the petition concluded.
