A broad coalition of civil society organisations has accused the Federal Government of Nigeria of abandoning its constitutional responsibilities following a reported United States airstrike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day, raising concerns over sovereignty, civilian protection and presidential leadership. In a statement issued on Sunday, the groups criticised President Bola Tinubu for what they described as silence and absence of leadership, accusing him of failing in his constitutional role as Commander in Chief. According to the organisations, “the decision to allow a foreign military to conduct strike operations within Nigeria represents a dangerous ceding of sovereign authority,” adding that the situation was worsened by the lack of public communication from the President, the Service Chiefs and the National Assembly leadership.
The coalition cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, stressing that any security operation involving foreign forces must meet standards of transparency, civilian protection and democratic oversight, which they said were absent in this case. They also raised alarm over reports that debris from expended munitions fell on farmlands in Sokoto State and near a hotel in Kwara State, noting that no official disclosure had been made on who authorised the strikes, safeguards for civilians or accountability mechanisms for any harm caused. While acknowledging the importance of international cooperation against terrorism, the groups warned that the government’s handling of the incident risks deepening public distrust and inflaming communal tensions, calling for transparent investigations, public disclosure of findings, and compensation for affected communities