The Arewa Youth Assembly has accused some elements within the opposition parties as the brain behind insecurity across Nigeria as elections approach, citing, what it described, as a recurring pattern of violence during election cycles.

At a press conference in Abuja, the Speaker of the group, Mohammed Danlami, said cases of kidnappings, banditry and coordinated attacks tend to rise sharply ahead of elections, a trend, he claimed, points to deliberate attempts to destabilise the country for political advantage.

The group warned that the situation poses a serious threat to national stability, stressing that the survival of Nigeria must take precedence over political ambitions, while calling on security agencies to urgently investigate the allegations and curb the trend.

The group further urged President Bola Tinubu to provide increased support for the military through improved equipment, logistics and intelligence to sustain ongoing operations against insurgents and criminal groups.

Danlami emphasised that security should be a collective responsibility, while raising concerns over historical trends linking election periods in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 with spikes in violence, including insurgency in the North East, killings in Benue and widespread kidnappings in the North West.

The Assembly called on the media to investigate its claims and urged citizens to report suspicious activities, maintaining that national security must remain above politics.