Insecurity: Tinubu’s Recent Security Decisions Mirror Primate Ayodele’s Earlier Warnings Advice
A series of recent actions taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity appear to align closely with earlier public warnings and recommendations issued by Primate Elijah Ayodele, Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church.For months, Nigeria has recorded multiple cases of bandit attacks, kidnappings, killings, and assaults on religious institutions, especially in northern states. Security agencies have also suffered casualties, raising national concern over the capacity of existing structures to contain the crisis.
Shortly after the Tinubu administration came into office, Primate Ayodele predicted that insecurity and ethnic tension would pose significant challenges for the new government. He also warned that widespread kidnappings would escalate and that the administration would need to prepare for intense security pressure.The cleric further stated—months before current developments—that service chiefs would need to be replaced, insisting that a failure to overhaul the security leadership could worsen the crisis. In May 2025, he said:“If they begin to kill soldiers, it means the Chief of Army Staff isn’t active… Even the CDS isn’t active.We need very active service chiefs to curb this crisis.”Service Chiefs ReshuffledIn an unexpected move shortly afterward, President Tinubu replaced the Chief of Defence Staff and appointed new security chiefs—an action many observers noted matched the cleric’s earlier counsel.24-Hour Surveillance Advice and Presidential ResponseAs insecurity worsened further, Primate Ayodele urged the president to direct the Nigerian Navy and Air Force to conduct continuous aerial surveillance in affected regions—similar to what is done during elections.Days later, President Tinubu declared a national security emergency and ordered heightened surveillance operations by the Navy and other security agencies in hotspots across the country.State Police Recommendation and Federal ApprovalIn another advisory, the Primate called on the federal government to approve state, regional, and local policing structures and to deploy forest guards to clear hideouts used by terrorists.Soon after, the Federal Executive Council approved the framework for state police, with the president also directing the DSS and other agencies to strengthen forest-based operations.Defense Minister’s Exit and Reappointment of Ex-CDS MusaLast week, Primate Ayodele advised the president to appoint a military professional—not a politician—as Minister of Defence. He specifically recommended former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to join a team of ex-generals to advise the presidency.On Wednesday, the Minister of Defence resigned—officially for health reasons—while multiple reports suggested it followed a presidential directive. Shortly afterward, General Christopher Musa met with President Tinubu and was nominated as the new Minister of Defence.These developments have fueled public discussion about the alignment between the prophet’s earlier statements and the government’s subsequent decisions. Supporters argue that the pattern highlights the value of engaging spiritual perspectives in governance. Others view the alignment as coincidental or influenced by evolving security realities.For now, Nigeria continues to await improved outcomes as the government intensifies its efforts to curb insecurity across affected states.
