The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna

MAIDUGURI — Hundreds of students and members of various youth associations held a peaceful protest in Maiduguri on Sunday, officially launching a collaborative initiative with security agencies to combat violent extremism and terrorism in Borno State.

The demonstrators, who marched through the city center, called for urgent government intervention to address the ongoing insurgency while pledging to forge a united front of partnership between local communities and security forces to identify and report threats.

Suleiman Muhammad Sarki, the leader of the youth coalition, stated that the march was a collective effort to shift from passive observation to active cooperation with the military and police.

“This fight is not for the government alone; it is a collective responsibility,” Sarki said.

“Terrorism has destroyed our communities and stolen our peace. We are now working to ensure that our neighborhoods are no longer safe havens for criminal elements.”
A key focus of the initiative is a standardized “no-ransom” policy. Protesters urged families, communities, and government authorities to cease payments to kidnappers and armed groups, arguing that such funds directly finance the operations of insurgent networks.

“We have reached a consensus that we will not pay ransom to kidnappers, bandits, or any terrorist group,” Sarki added.

“When we stop the flow of funds, we cripple their ability to operate.”

The demonstration also highlighted the severe socio-economic impact of the insurgency, which participants argued has crippled local production and education.

Halima Ali-Idrisj, a student representative, stated that the collapse of rural security has prevented farmers from accessing their lands, threatening food security in the region.

“Our people can no longer access their farms or cultivate their crops because they are being targeted daily Idris said.

“The restoration of security is essential for our survival and the resumption of our local economy.”

University of Maiduguri student Zainab Idris cited the closure of schools as a primary grievance, noting that the ongoing violence has denied a generation of students access to basic education. She stated that the coalition intends to provide full support to security agencies to expedite the restoration of peace and the reopening of educational institutions.

Zainab Hassan, a registered nurse who was also at the peaceful protest said that you have agreed to come out under the slogan #UnitedAgainstTerrorism because “security is everyone’s problem and if we, as citizens, do not come together and defeat terrorism, it will defeat us. We have to be our own guards and report any suspicious activities to the relevant authorities promptly.