President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to demonstrate leadership and moral courage by immediately suspending the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other key security officials to pave the way for an independent national and international investigation into Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
The call was made by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), a United States-based not-for-profit organisation, in a statement issued by its President, Stephen Osemwegie, and Director of Media, Victor Onyeka Ben.
According to the group, the proposed probe should be conducted by a joint national and international panel, with the objective of identifying and prosecuting individuals found culpable in the country’s persistent insecurity.
SNG said the demand was necessitated by “disturbing reports” emerging from Kwara State, where a captured Fulani Islamist militant was allegedly found in possession of an identification card confirming his membership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).
The suspect reportedly confessed to receiving weapons and logistical support allegedly traceable to state-linked security channels.
The organisation described the situation as alarming, noting that mass kidnappings of schoolchildren and worshippers, repeated attacks on Christian communities and vulnerable Muslim populations, as well as other coordinated violent acts, continue unabated across Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Benue and Plateau states in the Middle Belt region.
SNG further criticised what it described as government inertia, lamenting the inability of security agencies to curb the violence or bring perpetrators and their alleged sponsors to justice.
The group expressed grave concern over Nigeria’s rapidly deteriorating security environment, marked by relentless terrorist attacks, mass abductions, targeted killings, and what it called credible allegations of internal compromise within the nation’s security architecture.
The US-based NGO, which has been vocal in supporting Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern,” referenced claims of a “Christian genocide” previously raised against Nigeria during the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
SNG vowed to pursue justice at the international level, stating that it would take alleged perpetrators and their backers before the International Criminal Court (ICC) if decisive action is not taken.
Among other demands, the group called on President Tinubu to publicly disclose individuals allegedly backing terrorist groups, clearly appraise Nigerians on the true extent of the security crisis, provide a realistic timeline for ending insecurity, respond urgently to the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and address allegations of official compromise within the Nigerian polity.
The group stressed that restoring peace and security is critical to ensuring Nigeria remains a country governed by the rule of law.
