Terrorism: 95 CSOs query Tinubu over conduct on Us air strike

A coalition of 95 of the nation’s top civil society organisations (CSOs) under the Nigerian Joint Civil Society Action have berated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for mishandling the fall-out of the ongoing Nigeria-US joint military operations in selected areas of the northern parts of the country.

In a statement jointly signed by the coalition on Monday wondered ‘where was President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ when it matters most.

They express concern and alarm over the recent U.S. air strike carried out on Christmas Day on Nigerian territory, and the troubling silence, absence, and abdication of responsibility by Nigeria’s political and military leadership in its aftermath.

“This event raises fundamental questions about sovereignty, constitutional governance, civilian protection, and the integrity of Nigeria’s social contract. It is apparent that Nigeria is in a dual crisis of leadership and security, and at the heart of this crisis is the apparent abdication by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of his constitutional 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.

According to them, even more disturbing is that during and after the operation, the President, the Service Chiefs, and the leadership of the National Assembly were either on vacation or completely silent, leaving the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, to publicly rationalize decisions that strike at the core of national sovereignty and democratic accountability.

They lamented that this silence reflects a profound breakdown of institutional accountability mechanisms. Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is unequivocal: “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

They said, “This provision represents a central pillar of Nigeria’s social contract. 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.

“While we acknowledge the importance of international counterterrorism cooperation, there is an urgent need to critically assess Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), as well as its Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, in light of the recent U.S. operation on Nigerian soil, to determine whether it aligns with these frameworks or exposes significant gaps within them.

“We are particularly troubled by the severe deficit of information regarding the nature, scope, legal basis, and rules of engagement governing the collaboration between the Nigerian and U.S. governments. Since the incident, Nigerians have not been informed of the basis for authorizing the strikes, under what legal framework they were conducted, what safeguards were in place to protect civilians, whether the National Assembly exercised any oversight, or what accountability mechanisms exist for harm caused.

“This opacity fuels mistrust and undermines public confidence in government at a time when trust is already dangerously low. In addition, at the time of issuing this statement, there has been no confirmation that any actual belligerent targets were hit.

“Instead, reports that debris from expended munitions fell on farmlands in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel, underscore the very real risks to civilian life and property. While the Nigerian Air Force inaugurated a “Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) Board” in July 2025, no publicly articulated civilian harm mitigation protocols have been presented for this offensive.

“In contemporary military operations, particularly those involving air strikes, 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 absence of such frameworks in this operation constitutes a serious governance failure.”

They cautioned that the government’s inept management of this crisis is capable of aggravating narratives that escalate religious and communal tensions in an already fragile national context.

They warned that Nigeria’s security challenges cannot and must not be framed in ways that deepen polarization or stigmatize communities, saying what is required is a united, inclusive, and rights-respecting approach that prioritizes peace, social cohesion, and long-term stability.

They said, “If the President and his security leadership have concluded that they lack the capacity or will to manage Nigeria’s internal security challenges within the bounds of the Constitution and would rather cede such authority to a foreign power, then 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.”

Members of the coalition include, 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative; Accountability Lab Nigeria; African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgIT, Centre for Social Justice, Centre LSD, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and Center for Transparency Advocacy (CTA).

Others are Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), CLEEN Foundation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Gatefield, Global Rights; Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre; Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria; Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC); Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre; The Kukah Centre, Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED);Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) and Yiaga Africa among others.