Inibehe Effiong Calls for Tinubu’s Resignation Over US Security Involvement

Human rights lawyer and AAC legal adviser Inibehe Effiong has called on President Bola Tinubu to resign, citing what he describes as the administration’s failure to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security crisis and an embarrassing reliance on US military support.

Effiong’s statement comes as fresh details emerge about the depth of American security involvement in Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations, including weapons deliveries and joint strikes that recently killed 175 ISIS fighters in the Lake Chad region.

A damning social media post

Reacting to the execution of Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher abducted by bandits from Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Effiong took to his verified X account urging the President to step down.

“Tinubu has no business remaining in office as President. The killings cannot continue unabated. Resign now!” he posted, reacting to a viral video showing Oyedokun tied up and forced to speak before he was killed by his captors.

The attack, which also claimed the life of assistant headmaster Joel Adesiyan, left 46 people — mostly children aged between two and 16 — still in captivity. The Oyo State government has shut down schools in four local government areas as security agencies intensify rescue efforts. Six suspects have been arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers linked to the attackers.

US security role under scrutiny

Beyond the Oyo tragedy, Effiong also faulted the appointment of retired Major General Adeyinka A. Fadewa as Special Adviser on Homeland Security, suggesting the move signals that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has failed in his duties.

“Is this an admission that the partisan and politically driven National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has failed?” Effiong asked in a separate post on May 11, shortly after Fadewa’s appointment was announced.

The creation of a parallel security advisory structure has raised questions about the effectiveness of Ribadu’s coordination of Nigeria’s security architecture. Effiong argued that overlapping structures may create confusion in command and coordination at a time when clarity is desperately needed.

Deepening US-Nigeria security cooperation

The controversy unfolds as the United States deepens its security footprint in Nigeria. The US Air Force has reportedly flown into Nigeria at least six times to deliver heavy military equipment, though Nigerian authorities insist American forces are playing a strictly non-combat role.

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that US and Nigerian forces had jointly eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the alleged second-in-command of ISIS globally, in a complex operation in the Lake Chad region. Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in what he called a “flawlessly executed” mission.

Government response

President Tinubu condemned the Oyo attack as “barbaric” and promised that the federal government is working with state authorities to rescue all remaining victims. “We expect a breakthrough soon,” he said in a statement released by his office.

However, for critics like Effiong, these reactive measures are insufficient. As mass kidnappings continue to plague Nigeria — with schools increasingly becoming targets in regions previously considered safe — the pressure on Tinubu’s administration to demonstrate effective security leadership is mounting.

Sources: Legit.ng, Parallel Facts, Punch, BBC Pidgin