A broad coalition of civil society organizations has accused Nigeria’s federal government of abdicating its constitutional responsibilities following reported US airstrikes on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day, raising pointed questions about sovereignty, civilian protection and presidential leadership.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, the groups expressed grave concern at what they described as the silence and absence of Nigeria’s political and military leadership following the operation.
At the center of the criticism is President Bola Tinubu, whom the coalition accuses of failing to fulfill his constitutional role as commander-in-chief.
“The decision to allow foreign forces to conduct offensive operations inside Nigeria represents a dangerous transfer of sovereignty,” the organization said.
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“They argued that there was a lack of public communication from the president, military chiefs, and parliamentary leadership, exacerbated by the foreign minister having to respond to issues that directly concern national sovereignty and democratic responsibility.”
The Coalition cited Article 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the safety and welfare of the people is the main purpose of government.
They said security operations involving foreign forces must be based on transparency, civilian protection and democratic oversight, but they say those standards were not met in this case.
Recognizing the importance of international cooperation against terrorism, these organizations called for an urgent review of Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Framework for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.
They said the reported attacks reveal potential gaps in policy, coordination, and safeguards against harm to civilians.
The main concern highlighted is the lack of information provided to Nigerians on the legal basis, scope, and rules of engagement guiding cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
The organizations said there was no official disclosure of who authorized the attack, what security measures were in place to protect civilians, or what accountability mechanisms exist for the damage caused.
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They were also alerted to reports of spent munitions debris falling on agricultural land in Jabo area of Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State and near a hotel in Ofa, Kwara State.
They said there was no confirmation that any belligerent targets were actually attacked. The Nigerian Air Force established a Civilian Mitigation and Response Committee in July 2025, but the coalition said there was no publicly articulated civilian mitigation protocol for the operation.
They noted that modern air operations require clear standards regarding target verification, proportionality, post-strike evaluation, and grievance and redress mechanisms available to affected civilians.
The statement warned that the government’s response to the incident risks escalating religious and communal tensions in an already fragile domestic environment.
The report stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be framed in a way that deepens polarization or stigmatizes communities.
These organizations called for a transparent investigation into the harm to civilians caused by the strikes, public disclosure of the findings, prompt assistance to affected communities, and adequate compensation in the event of harm.
Failure to take these steps will widen the gap in trust between the people and the state, they said.
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In a sharp conclusion, the coalition said the continued silence of the president, security chiefs and members of parliament is unacceptable.
They argued that constitutional responsibility required Nigeria’s leadership to resign if it believed it was incapable of managing internal security without ceding power to foreign powers.
Business Day reports that the statement was supported by more than 100 civil society organizations and prominent human rights activists, including Amnesty International Nigeria, BudgetIT, CLEEN Foundation, SBM Intelligence, Yaaga Africa, and several community-based women’s rights organizations across the country.
