Afenifere Urges Tinubu to Seek Global and Local Support as Insecurity Threatens Nigeria’s Stability

Afenifere has raised fresh alarm over Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, urging President Bola Tinubu to urgently seek support both within and outside the country to halt the growing wave of violence. The organisation warned that the nation is drifting into dangerous territory where its unity and stability can no longer be taken for granted.

In a communique jointly signed by Afenifere Leader Oba Oladipo Olaitan and National Publicity Secretary Prince Justice Faloye, the group expressed deep concern that the security situation has deteriorated to a level where the country’s sovereignty is now under visible threat. It added that the Federal Government appears overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis.

The organisation argued that the persistent insecurity is tied to Nigeria’s current unitary structure, which it said replaced the negotiated federal framework that once allowed ethnic nationalities, especially in the Middle Belt, to exercise their right to self-determination. According to Afenifere, this faulty arrangement has sustained injustice and exposed communities to continued attacks.

It stressed that accepting a system inherited from colonial rule amounts to accepting the ongoing “policide and genocide” against the Middle Belt. The group renewed its call for urgent restructuring to devolve power from the central government to the states and allow nationalities to align with regions of their choice.

Afenifere criticised President Tinubu for failing to champion the decentralisation he once strongly advocated, describing his current stance as disappointing and misaligned with the interests of excluded groups across the country.

The group also condemned the increasing trend of government officials negotiating with armed terrorists who attend such meetings heavily armed. It said this emboldens criminal elements and exposes the government’s inability to protect its citizens.

According to the communique, Nigeria’s failure to halt attacks on Middle Belt communities, many of which are predominantly Christian, has become evident even to foreign observers. Afenifere insisted that the government’s negligence has made it complicit in the violence ravaging the region.

The organisation reiterated that the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property, stressing that any sincere assistance that can stop the killings should be welcomed. Afenifere also backed foreign support, including former US President Donald Trump’s offer to help counter ethnic cleansing, noting that global involvement may be necessary at this stage.

Furthermore, it restated that restructuring remains central to resolving Nigeria’s crises, dismissing the narrative of “one North” and emphasising the need for political arrangements that recognise the identity and aspirations of Middle Belt ethnic groups.

Afenifere concluded by calling for a federating system where states operate independent police commands with supporting structures at local and community levels.