Security Challenges: Citizens’ Group Urges President Tinubu to Act or Face International Petition

A civic coalition known as The Citizens, a public and national-interest advocacy group, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take “swift and decisive” action to address Nigeria’s escalating security challenges, warning that it will brief the international community in two weeks if urgent reforms are not implemented.

Speaking at a well-attended press briefing titled “What a Serious President Would Do (If Security Truly Mattered)”, the group through its spokesperson, Comrade Ikem Samuel outlined a series of recommendations which it insists are necessary to restore professionalism, accountability, and confidence within the nation’s security architecture.

According to Samuel, the current security management framework has become “a risk factor,” and urgent changes are required if Nigeria is to halt the cycle of killings, kidnappings, and destabilisation plaguing multiple regions.

Key Demands Presented to President Tinubu

1. Sack the National Security Adviser
The group called for the immediate removal of the current National Security Adviser (NSA) and the appointment of a seasoned intelligence professional, preferably a retired top official from the NIA, DIA, or DSS with decades of field experience.

2. Restructure the Defence Ministry
They urged the President to appoint a retired senior military commander as Minister of Defence, arguing that national security should not be headed by “a political consolation prize.”

3. End the ‘Repentant Terrorist’ Programme
The Citizens demanded a halt to the existing reintegration approach, insisting on proper investigation, prosecution, and sentencing for offenders. Deradicalisation, they said, should only apply to low-risk individuals without blood on their hands.

4. Establish a Functional Joint National Security Council
They recommended a weekly, binding security council meeting involving all service chiefs, intelligence heads, and the Inspector-General of Police—all with clear presidential backing and accountability mechanisms.

5. Audit and Purge the Security Sector
The group called for a sweeping audit to eliminate leakages, sabotage, and internal compromise. They suggested rotating postings, strengthening counter-intelligence, and removing politically imposed personnel.

6. Prioritise Expertise Over Party Loyalty
According to the statement, public safety must supersede political considerations: “Nobody cares which party stays in power if citizens are being buried weekly.”

Blame on Successive Administrations

The Citizens criticised successive governments, stating that former President Muhammadu Buhari “broke the system” with policies that allegedly demoralised security forces. They accused President Tinubu of inheriting the weakened structure but failing to introduce transformative reforms, instead opting for “cosmetic adjustments.”

“Hope for who?” the statement asked. “Certainly not for the soldiers who now die knowing their killers may end up in government camps eating three square meals.”

The group said Nigeria cannot achieve security “with wrong people at the top, wrong policies on the ground, and wrong incentives for killers.”

Ultimatum to the Presidency

The Citizens concluded with a firm ultimatum, urging President Tinubu to act “within hours” and warning that failure to implement meaningful security reforms would prompt them to petition the international community within two weeks.

“We pray that our President takes swift action,” Samuel stated. “If nothing is done, we will address the international community and the world.”