A call has been made for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to investigate allegations that the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are involved in arming Fulani bandits and other non-state actors in the state. The appeal was made by Timi Frank, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress.

The allegations surfaced after Nigerian soldiers arrested armed men in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, who were found with AK-47 rifles and a patrol vehicle allegedly linked to the state government. The suspects claimed that the arms and vehicle were provided by the state government. Initially, officials of the Kwara State Government confirmed that the suspects were members of Miyetti Allah and were operating under a federal security arrangement coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

However, the story took a turn when the Kwara State Government later confirmed that the arrested individuals were part of a security operation linked to the NSA’s office. The NSA’s office initially acknowledged that arms had been issued to vigilantes under “hybrid security operations” in line with the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act. But in a sudden reversal, the NSA’s office denied arming kidnappers, militias, or socio-cultural groups, stating that the individuals involved were merely vigilantes known to the NSA.

The conflicting accounts have raised serious questions about the authorization and recruitment of the armed men, as well as the repeated changes in official accounts. Timi Frank has criticized the NSA’s office for its “sudden and suspicious U-turn,” which he believes suggests either gross incompetence or a deliberate cover-up.

The situation has been described as a “national security scandal” that requires immediate attention. Frank has urged President Tinubu to order an independent probe into the roles of the NSA and the Kwara State Government, investigate the conflicting statements from the NSA’s office, and ensure that any official found to have armed or enabled non-state actors outside the law is held accountable. The United States government has also been called upon to consider imposing visa restrictions on the two officials and to exercise caution in sharing intelligence with Nigeria until the matter is thoroughly investigated. The outcome of the investigation is expected to have significant implications for Nigeria’s national security architecture.