Comrade Timi Frank, a prominent APC activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary, has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into explosive allegations that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq armed Fulani bandits and non-state actors.
Nigerian soldiers recently intercepted armed men in a vehicle linked to the Kwara State Government, sparking the controversy. The suspects claimed the arms and vehicle came directly from state officials, who later confirmed they were Miyetti Allah members operating under a federal security arrangement tied to Ribadu's Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Initial denials from state and federal levels quickly shifted, with ONSA first admitting arms supply to vigilantes under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act before retracting and insisting the men were "known vigilantes," not criminals.
Frank described the flip-flopping statements as a "chain of contradictions" exposing flaws in Nigeria's security apparatus and possible cover-ups. He questioned who authorized the arms, recruited the men, and why accounts changed rapidly, labeling it a "national security scandal" hinting at political manipulation of insecurity. Frank highlighted dangers of arming migrant herders in Yorubaland, noting local communities' prior warnings that such moves would fuel violence rather than curb it.
Kwara State has faced escalating banditry, with over 142 kidnappings and 70 killings in the past year, forcing 25 communities to abandon farmlands and schools. President Tinubu previously ordered military deployment to flush bandits from forests, following Senate summons of top security chiefs amid attacks like the Oke-Ode ambush that killed 12 vigilantes. Groups like Think Yoruba First have urged a state of emergency in Kwara North and South due to ungoverned spaces and poor response times.
Frank insisted Ribadu should step aside for a transparent probe, arguing that evasions suggest incompetence or protection of powerful interests. He warned of internal sabotage within Tinubu's administration and demanded accountability for any officials arming non-state actors. This comes amid Ribadu's praised successes, like Ansaru commanders' arrests, but underscores tensions over vigilante arming in volatile regions.