Social commentator Mallam Jabir has blamed the deepening insecurity in Northern Nigeria on decades of government corruption, failed leadership, and parental irresponsibility.
In a post on his official X account, @Mallam_jabeer, Jabir said many of the terrorists and bandits tormenting the region today were once “innocent children, abandoned on the streets because their parents couldn’t cater for their responsibilities.”
He dismissed the notion that poverty and illiteracy alone fuel insecurity, arguing instead that “the root of insecurity in Northern Nigeria is not just poverty, illiteracy or whatsoever; it is irresponsibility and corruption.”
According to him, the failure of the government to invest in education, healthcare, and employment created the hopeless conditions that drive children into violent extremism.
“But who created this poverty? Who stole the money meant for education, healthcare, and jobs? The same politicians who now move around with police escorts and private jets, while millions of children wander hungry and hopeless,” he wrote.
Jabir said the “North is bleeding because the government failed to invest in its people,” accusing traditional and religious leaders of keeping silent while generations are wasted.
He criticised parents who continue to bring children into the world without the means to feed, educate, or guide them, adding that the absence of government support has worsened the crisis.
“These abandoned children grow up with anger in their hearts and guns in their hands, and we dare to ask why terrorism won’t end?” he asked.
Jabir warned that the region faces a bleak future if urgent action is not taken to educate, empower, and control childbirth.
“The truth is bitter; our silence, our greed, and our corrupt leaders are creating the next wave of terrorists if care is not taken,” he cautioned.
“If something drastic is not done now, if we don’t educate, empower, and plan our families in the next 25 to 30 years, this region will face a disaster beyond imagination because we are not just raising children anymore; we are raising time bombs,” he added.
Several social media users supported Jabir’s comments, with many agreeing that Northern Nigeria’s insecurity is a product of failed governance and misplaced priorities.
One user, @0x_twinlights, said, “The reason the Northern leadership has still not been able to discard the almajiri system is still an enigma,” adding that the system allows parents to “bypass their primary responsibility of taking care of these kids.”
Another user, @PO_GrassRootM, wrote that “when the government fails to provide proper education and real empowerment, young people become vulnerable to joining extremist groups.”
Others called for strong policies to abolish the Almajiri system, family planning enforcement, and massive investment in education as long-term solutions to the crisis.
Many also faulted northern elites and clerics for allowing poverty and ignorance to persist while living in comfort.
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