Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been urged to show strong leadership and moral courage by immediately suspending the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other officials to allow for an independent investigation into Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
The call was made by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), a United States-based non-profit organisation, in a statement issued by its President, Stephen Osemwegie, and its Director of Media, Victor Onyeka Ben. The group said the suspension is necessary to clear the way for a joint national and international probe that would identify and prosecute anyone found culpable.
According to SNG, the demand followed disturbing reports from Kwara State involving a captured Fulani Islamist militant. The suspect was allegedly found with an identification card linking him to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and reportedly confessed to receiving weapons and logistical support traceable to state-linked security channels, including the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The group expressed outrage that mass kidnappings of schoolchildren, attacks on worship centres, and coordinated violence continue unabated across states such as Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Benue and Plateau. It described the situation as heartbreaking, noting that both Christian communities and vulnerable Muslims remain frequent targets.
SNG criticised what it described as government inertia, lamenting that security agencies appear unable to stem the violence while alleged perpetrators and their enablers are rarely brought to justice. The organisation warned that Nigeria’s security architecture is increasingly under suspicion due to credible allegations of internal compromise.
The group also restated its support for Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States, a classification linked to claims of religious persecution. It vowed to pursue international justice, including approaching the International Criminal Court (ICC), to hold both perpetrators and their alleged sponsors accountable.
Beyond the suspension of officials, SNG called on President Tinubu to publicly disclose the backers of terrorist groups, clearly assess the scale of the insecurity, provide a realistic timeline for restoring peace, urgently address the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and confront allegations of official complicity within government institutions.
According to the group, restoring public trust will require decisive action, transparency, and a firm commitment to the rule of law. It stressed that Nigerians are watching closely and expect leadership that puts national security and human lives above politics.
