Primate Elijah Ayodele criticised President Bola Tinubu following the rise in violent attacks, kidnappings, and killings across the country. He said the current security situation is a national shame, especially at a time when Nigerian officials had travelled abroad to hold talks about insecurity rather than solving the problems at home.
He said the duty of the president is to protect the lives of all Nigerians and insisted that the growing violence affects people of every religion and tribe, not only Christians. He stated that the killings have become general and that fear has taken over many communities.
Ayodele said many Nigerians are losing trust in the president’s ability to handle insecurity. He called on the president to either use all available resources to restore safety or step aside for someone who can do the job better.
He also criticised the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, accusing him of ignoring warnings and failing to act quickly on security threats. According to him, the NSA has not carried out his duties properly and has become part of the problem facing the current government. He urged President Tinubu to call the security chief to order for the sake of innocent citizens.
The cleric advised the president to take firmer action by using military aircraft in troubled areas, just like is done during elections. He also suggested that the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff should move closer to crisis areas to supervise operations directly.
He added that while the Department of State Services has tried to act, it cannot succeed alone without proper cooperation from other security agencies. He called for better coordination among security forces and warned that no warnings, whether spiritual or otherwise, should be ignored.
He concluded by calling for tougher action against criminal groups and terrorists, saying they are ordinary people and should be dealt with firmly to prevent more loss of lives.