*As Big Tent Coalition Demands Apology To Peter Obi, Dele Momodu Questions Leadership Silence
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Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has raised concerns over what he described as a significant shift in Nigeria’s official narrative on insecurity in the North-West, following recent United States airstrikes on terrorist targets in the region.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Odinkalu noted that Nigeria has historically avoided publicly acknowledging the presence of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the North-West, instead describing violent groups operating in the area as “bandits,” a term he said suggested disorganised criminal outlaws rather than ideologically driven terrorist cells.
According to him, the situation has now changed with the United States openly announcing that it struck ISIS targets in North-West Nigeria, while the Nigerian government reportedly confirmed that it provided intelligence and cooperated with the U.S. in carrying out the operation.
“Something has changed,” Odinkalu said, stressing that such cooperation implies official recognition that the groups operating in the North-West are neither random nor disorganised, but structured and ideologically motivated terrorist organisations.
He argued that the development carries far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s security policy and public accountability, particularly regarding the government’s previous characterisation of the violence in the region.
Odinkalu further questioned when the Federal Government first became aware that ISIS was operating in the North-West and what concrete actions were taken at the time to address the threat.
Also, human rights lawyer and social critic, Dele Farotimi, has strongly criticised recent reports of United States military strikes on ISIS-linked targets in Nigeria, describing the action as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a reflection of leadership failure.
Farotimi made his views known in a post on his Facebook page, where he reacted to reports of U.S. involvement in military operations against terrorist elements in Nigeria’s North-West.
According to him, Nigeria’s sovereignty has been repeatedly undermined by its own leaders, whom he accused of lacking the will and authority to independently safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity.
Drawing parallels with past regional interventions, Farotimi recalled an earlier incident in which France, under President Emmanuel Macron, allegedly influenced Nigeria to conduct military action in neighbouring Benin Republic.
“Macron sent a now-disgraced Nigeria to bomb coupists in sovereign Benin,” he wrote, alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), acting without legislative backing, subordinated Nigeria’s sovereignty to foreign interests.
Farotimi argued that the reported U.S. strikes under President Donald Trump represent a continuation of this trend, asserting that Trump is “peeing over Nigeria’s sovereignty,” while benefiting from what he described as the complicity of Nigeria’s ruling elite.
He suggested that foreign powers are emboldened to act unilaterally because Nigeria’s leadership has failed to assert national independence or demand accountability in matters of security and foreign military involvement.
Meanwhile, The Big Tent Coalition, led by Professor Pat Utomi, has condemned, in the strongest terms the glaring hypocrisy, incoherence, and lack of strategic clarity displayed by the Nigerian Federal Government in its handling of yesterday’s U.S. airstrikes against ISIS-linked terrorists in North-West Nigeria.
It is now on record that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, working in collaboration with the United States of America, executed precision strikes against identified ISIS-linked elements in Sokoto State, an operation subsequently confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nearly 24 hours after the operation.
This development exposes a staggering contradiction. Barely last month, the Presidency – through its Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, publicly attacked Peter Obi for stating that he would welcome U.S. military assistance if it helped improve Nigeria’s security. Mr. Onanuga went as far as declaring that Nigerians would “never forget nor forgive” Mr. Obi for allegedly supporting foreign intervention.
Today, the same administration has endorsed and confirmed actual foreign military action on Nigerian soil. This is not only hypocritical, it is an indictment of a government that speaks without thinking, attacks without reflection, and governs without a coherent national security communication strategy.
“The Tinubu administration owes Peter Obi an immediate and unreserved apology. You cannot vilify a prominent citizen for expressing a conditional policy opinion, only to turn around and implement that very option in practice. This flip-flop exposes a government that lacks clarity, coordination, and credibility in its approach to national security,” Charles Odibo, Director of Media and Communication, Big Tent Coalition, stated.
Beyond the apology owed to Mr. Obi, the Big Tent Coalition is alarmed by the Federal Government’s disorganised and belated communication on a matter as grave as foreign military operations within Nigeria’s territory. While U.S. President Donald Trump personally announced the strike on behalf of his country, Nigerians were left to piece together fragmented confirmations from multiple officials, nearly twenty-four hours after the fact, raising serious questions about leadership, transparency, and sovereignty management.
According to Odibo, if, as now admitted, Nigeria engaged in “structured security cooperation” with the United States, why did the Presidency choose silence? Why were Nigerians subjected to conflicting narratives from different arms of government? And why was a presidential spokesperson so quick to politicise and demonise a patriotic comment, only for the government to adopt the same course of action? The security of Nigeria is too serious for propaganda, knee-jerk attacks, and posturing. Leadership demands consistency, humility, and honesty with the Nigerian people.
The Big Tent Coalition therefore calls on President Bola Tinubu to:
- Direct his spokesperson to formally apologise to Peter Obi for the unjustified attack
- Institute discipline and coherence in government communication on national security matters
- Personally address Nigerians on the nature, scope, and rules governing foreign security cooperation in Nigeria
Nigeria deserves a government that leads with clarity and strategy, not confusion or spite.
Also, media entrepreneur and publisher of Ovation magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, has questioned the silence of Nigeria’s leadership following reports of a United States–led military operation against terrorist targets on Nigerian soil.
Momodu raised the concern in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, reacting to the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that American forces had carried out airstrikes in Nigeria with the cooperation of the Nigerian government.
According to Momodu, the news of the operation broke in the middle of Christmas celebrations, coming “from far away USA,” and was conveyed in what he described as a “foggy and brief” message that left many Nigerians confused and inadequately informed.
“In normal climes, we would have expected our own President to immediately abort his vacation and return to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, surrounded by his war cabinet, and his media team rolling out updates to a usually under-informed nation,” Momodu stated.
He expressed concern over what he perceived as a lack of visible leadership at a critical and historic moment, stressing that national sovereignty and public confidence demand prompt and transparent communication from the country’s highest authority.
Momodu urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he referred to as Nigeria’s “Master Strategist,” not to abdicate responsibility in the face of such a significant security development.
“We implore our Master Strategist not to abdicate responsibility and our sovereignty at this crucial and historic moment, but to stand beside America in this fight against terrorism,” he said.
He concluded his remarks by noting that the country remained in prayers amid the unfolding security situation.
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