The former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, has reaffirmed his commitment to restoring the North’s lost glory and unifying the region.
Speaking to journalists at an event in Kaduna to commemorate the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, organised by the Rebuild Arewa Initiative for Development (RAI4D), Al-Mustapha stated that the region’s current state demands urgent intervention.
“It would be wrong for us to sit idly and watch the North decay. We know that, in the process of rebuilding, we may hurt people, but it is better to face that pain than allow the region to remain on this path of destruction,” he said.
He lamented the weakening or total collapse of institutions across the 19 Northern states, saying this has worsened the region’s social ills, increased crime, and deepened poverty.
“We see institutions either weak or non-existent, while crime rates continue to rise—a capital shame. It is unacceptable for leaders to remain indifferent while the younger generation is in disarray,” he said.
Al-Mustapha warned that healing the North would require painful but necessary reforms. “When wounds fester, the process of healing is bound to bring pain. Without mincing words, we are calling for and actively initiating healing processes,” he said.
He accused current Northern leaders of lacking vision and neglecting their responsibilities. According to him, there is no collective effort by the 19 Northern governors to develop education, security, and welfare programmes for the region.
“There isn’t a single joint central fund for educational development in the North. Poverty is visible everywhere—a shameful reality for a region like ours,” Al-Mustapha said.
He expressed sympathy for the condition of the average Northerner and described the assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello on January 15, 1966, as a tragic turning point.
Al-Mustapha noted that their efforts would not stop in Kaduna but extend across the region. “We are calling for leadership that prioritises responsibility over funfair. The unification of the North is all that matters,” he added.
We‘re working to rebuild, unite North – Al-Mustapha
