A coalition of Nigerian civil society organisations and rights advocates has raised alarm over the recent United States airstrike carried out on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day, questioning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s silence and what they describe as a troubling abdication of constitutional responsibility.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Where Is Nigeria’s President?”, the groups expressed grave concern about the airstrike and the absence of a public explanation from the President, the Service Chiefs, and the leadership of the National Assembly. They argued that the incident has raised serious questions about Nigeria’s sovereignty, constitutional governance, civilian protection, and democratic accountability.
According to the coalition, Nigeria is facing a dual crisis of leadership and security, which they say is exacerbated by what they described as the President’s failure to fully exercise his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“By inviting a foreign government to manage what is fundamentally an internal security challenge, the President ceded sovereign authority in a manner that undermines Nigeria’s constitutional order,” the statement said.
The groups further criticised the fact that, during and after the operation, key political and military leaders were reportedly on vacation or remained silent, leaving the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, to defend decisions that, in their view, strike at the heart of national sovereignty.
Citing Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” the coalition said the silence of Nigeria’s leadership reflects a breakdown of institutional accountability.
“Any security action, especially one involving foreign military forces, must be grounded in transparency, civilian protection, and democratic oversight. None of these standards were met,” the statement added.
While acknowledging the importance of international counterterrorism cooperation, the organisations called for a critical review of Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) and its National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism to determine whether the U.S. operation aligned with existing frameworks or exposed significant policy gaps.
The coalition also decried what it described as a severe lack of information regarding the legal basis, scope, and rules of engagement of the airstrikes. They noted that Nigerians have not been informed about how the strikes were authorised, what safeguards were put in place to protect civilians, or what accountability mechanisms exist in the event of civilian harm.
“This opacity fuels mistrust and undermines public confidence in government at a time when trust is already dangerously low,” they warned.
The groups expressed particular concern over reports that debris from expended munitions fell on farmlands in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and near a hotel in Offa, Kwara State. They noted that, as of the time of issuing the statement, there had been no confirmation that any actual militant targets were hit.
Although the Nigerian Air Force inaugurated a Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) Board in July 2025, the coalition said no clear civilian harm mitigation protocols were publicly articulated for the operation.
“In contemporary military operations, responsible governance demands clear standards for target verification, proportionality assessments, post-strike damage evaluations, and accessible avenues for civilian complaints, investigation, compensation, and redress,” the statement said, adding that the absence of such measures constituted “a serious governance failure.”
The organisations also warned that poor handling of the incident could inflame religious and communal tensions in an already fragile national environment, stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges must not be framed in ways that stigmatise communities or deepen polarisation.
They called on the government to urgently address harms suffered by civilians through transparent investigations, public disclosure of findings, prompt assistance to affected communities, and adequate compensation where necessary.
In a particularly strong conclusion, the coalition said the continued silence of the President and security leadership was “wholly unacceptable,” and argued that if the government believes it lacks the capacity to manage Nigeria’s internal security challenges, “constitutional responsibility and democratic integrity demand that they resign.”
“Nigerians deserve accountable leadership and security rooted in sovereignty, the rule of law, and respect for human life,” the statement said.
The statement was jointly signed by more than 100 organisations and individuals, including Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgIT, CLEEN Foundation, Media Rights Agenda, Yiaga Africa, RULAAC, Global Rights, and several other civil society, women’s rights, youth, and governance-focused groups across the country.
