November 5, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Think Yoruba First (TYF), has urged President Bola Tinubu to pursue a diplomatic middle ground for effective collaboration with the United States amid growing security concerns and international reactions to Nigeria’s internal challenges.
The appeal was made in a statement released by the group’s Public Relations Officer, Ogbeni Oluwole Lewis, who also condemned the alleged botched coup attempt reportedly involving some military officers of Northern extraction.
Lewis referenced a statement attributed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he allegedly threatened possible military intervention in Nigeria over claims of “genocide against Christians in Northern Nigeria,” accusing the Federal Government of inadequate action in addressing the crisis.
He noted that global powers had, over the years, been linked to destabilization activities in Nigeria and the wider Sahel region. According to him, the development underscores the need for the Nigerian government to re-evaluate both internal security strategies and foreign diplomatic engagements.
TYF argued that the country’s centralized security structure is no longer effective in dealing with emerging threats. The group maintained that decentralizing security operations would enhance manpower distribution, intelligence gathering, and response time to crises across the country.
“Decentralizing the security apparatus has become essential to solve problems relating to manpower, response time, and intelligence gathering. Sub-nationals must be empowered to defend themselves without depending solely on federal forces. A rigidly centralized structure also makes coups easier to attempt, as history has shown,” Lewis said.
He reiterated the group’s long-standing advocacy for the creation of state police and urged the Federal Government to begin consultations with state governors and state assemblies to fast-track the process.
Lewis further called for amendments to the Firearms Act—currently listed under the Exclusive Legislative List—to allow states greater authority in managing their internal security affairs.
