Governor Umaru Bago has taken one of the boldest security-related decisions in Niger State’s recent history by stripping Fulani Ardos of their roles as district heads and restoring those traditional powers to indigenous village chiefs.
The governor says the move is driven by security concerns, alleging that some local disputes have escalated because of cross-border connections that allegedly brought in criminal elements, fueling banditry, kidnappings and attacks on farming communities.
His message is unequivocal: anyone who occupies a traditional stool in Niger State must owe undivided loyalty to the state and the nation.
Under the new arrangement, affected Ardos will either relinquish their district head positions or be redesignated as Hakimi under the authority of indigenous traditional institutions.
Whether praised as a decisive security reform or criticised as controversial, one thing is certain: Governor Bago has signalled that traditional leadership will no longer be insulated from his administration’s drive to tackle insecurity at its roots