AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
A civic organisation, the Majeobaje Community Development Initiative, has called on Nigerians to unite behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the country navigates persistent threats of terrorism, worsening insecurity and rising foreign interest in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
The group expressed deep concern that the deteriorating security environment, if not addressed decisively from within, could embolden foreign governments, including the United States under former President Donald Trump, to justify the possibility of military action in Nigeria under the guise of protecting Christians.
Speaking at a press briefing, the group said the time had come for Nigerians to take responsibility for securing their own nation, warning that external intervention in any form would gravely undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty. The organisation, made up of professionals, farmers, academics and business executives, said it was “dangerous and misleading” for foreign leaders to mischaracterise Nigeria’s security challenges as religious genocide.
According to the group, what began as sporadic attacks by armed herdsmen and isolated cases of kidnapping around 2014 has now, over the years, spiralled into widespread terrorism, banditry and separatist gun violence in several regions. High-profile incidents such as the 2022 church massacre in Owo, Ondo State, and repeated attacks in Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Kwara states were cited as examples of the toll insecurity continues to take on local communities.
“While there is no denying that many attacks have occurred in predominantly Christian areas, this is nowhere near the sweeping claim of wholesale genocide as projected by President Donald Trump,” the group said. “Statements like these have historically paved the way for foreign powers to justify intervention in resource-rich countries, as happened in Iraq, Syria, Libya and across the Sahel.”
Majeobaje cautioned Nigerians against being drawn into what it described as a “global power game masked as humanitarian concern,” warning that any military intrusion by foreign states would destabilise the country even further.
The group acknowledged that the Tinubu administration inherited a deeply compromised security architecture, slowed down by years of weak enforcement, inadequate intelligence coordination and allegations of collusion in the release of arrested terror suspects. It noted that by 2023, even the relatively stable South-West had begun to witness coordinated attacks and kidnappings that were previously unheard of.
Majeobaje said President Tinubu’s response since assuming office has shown an understanding that national development cannot occur without guaranteed security of life and livelihood. The group commended the President for increasing the defence budget from ₦1.55 trillion in 2023 to ₦6.57 trillion in 2025 and for authorising a more aggressive approach to counter-terror operations.
The organisation referenced ongoing military raids in forest zones, the restructuring of service commands and the revival of the National Forest Guards as clear examples of a leadership determined to restore safety across the country. It also praised the renewed efforts to improve synergy between the military, police and state security outfits, describing the reforms as evidence of “the kind of bold and visionary leadership Nigeria urgently needs.”
“Our troops have recorded notable successes in recent months, and we commend the retired service chiefs for their service and congratulate the new commanders,” the group said. “However, more needs to be done, and it must be done swiftly.”
Majeobaje urged President Tinubu to strengthen ongoing operations by ensuring that not only terrorists but also their financiers and political enablers are decisively prosecuted. It pointed to the controversial UAE report that allegedly identified Nigerian sponsors of terrorism, insisting that the government must demonstrate the political will to bring such individuals to justice.
It also called for a nationwide strategy to address the radicalisation of youths across the country, ranging from almajiri populations in the North to armed separatist recruits in the South-East and militant gangs in the creeks and urban centres of the South-West.
“The appeasement of terrorists is counterproductive,” the organisation warned. “The only effective response is an uncompromising use of state power. Nigeria must act now before foreign ‘saviours’ claim the authority to act for us.”
Despite the challenges, Majeobaje said President Tinubu has already shown in just two years that he is willing and able to implement the radical policies required to secure and rebuild the nation. The group said his economic and security reforms demonstrate the kind of courage and technocratic insight needed at a time when Nigeria faces both internal insurgency and external pressure.
It argued that changing leadership in 2027 would be “a gamble the country cannot afford,” especially when the opposition “has not produced any leader with Tinubu’s combination of boldness, experience and strategic vision.”
The organisation said returning Tinubu for a second term, with a two-third majority for his party across federal and state legislatures, would provide the political stability required to amend the constitution and entrench the reforms already underway.
“This is not the time for coups, nor for inviting foreign militaries into our country,” Majeobaje said. “It is the time to support a leader who has shown capacity, conviction and patriotic commitment.”
The group concluded by urging Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides to unite behind the President. “We must rally around President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” it said. “The survival of our nation depends on it.”
Chairman of the group is Chief Akintayo Akin-Deko while Mr Ayo Oyerinde is the Secretary.
