A civil society organisation has challenged the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) to justify why it singled out the Defence Minister over the escalating insecurity in Sokoto State, describing the group’s 14-day ultimatum as unrealistic and constitutionally misguided.
The Aminchi Centre for Social Advocacy and Community Development said while MURIC was entitled to demand improved security and accountability, its threat to demand the resignation of Defence Minister General Christopher Musa failed to recognise Nigeria’s constitutional security architecture.
MURIC, through its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, had reportedly issued the Federal Government a fortnight to halt killings in Sokoto or face calls for the Minister’s removal.
But addressing journalists at the NUJ Secretariat in Sokoto, Aminchi Centre Chairman Ibrahim Abdullahi Shuni stressed that national security was a collective responsibility that could not be placed on one individual.
“The Minister of Defence is the political head of the Ministry, with responsibilities relating to defence policy, strategic direction, oversight and resource mobilisation,” Shuni stated. “He is not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The 1999 Constitution vests that authority in the President.”
The group explained that the defence architecture involved distinct responsibilities shared between the President, Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and service chiefs, making it inaccurate to hold the Minister personally responsible for every security incident.
“Security is a system. It requires coordination, intelligence, resources, effective leadership, community cooperation and citizen participation,” Shuni added.
Constructive Engagement Over Ultimatums
While acknowledging citizens’ right to demand protection from terrorists and bandits, the group urged that such demands should be accompanied by constructive engagement and collective responsibility.
“The question ought not simply to be, ‘What is the Minister of Defence doing?’” Shuni remarked. “It should also be: What are religious leaders, traditional institutions, state governments, communities and ordinary citizens doing to help identify and defeat the criminals?”
The Aminchi Centre challenged MURIC to demonstrate its own contributions to the fight against insecurity, questioning what intelligence it had supplied to security agencies, how many communities it had mobilised for early-warning mechanisms, and what support it had provided to victims.
“Criticism must be accompanied by constructive responsibility,” Shuni insisted.
The group also questioned why MURIC had not extended its demands to the President, service chiefs, intelligence agencies, the Nigeria Police Force, Sokoto State Government, traditional institutions and community structures.
‘Impregnable in 14 Days’ Unrealistic
The Aminchi Centre rejected the demand for Sokoto to become “impregnable and unassailable” within 14 days, arguing that no serious security professional could guarantee a terror-free environment within such a timeframe.
“Accountability must be based on law, facts, institutional responsibility and measurable performance, not on arbitrary ultimatums,” Shuni said.
The group condemned the killing and abduction of innocent Nigerians but cautioned against what it described as the scapegoating of General Musa, who it noted had strong ties to Sokoto and the wider Caliphate region.
“MURIC is entitled to its opinion. It is not, however, constitutionally empowered to determine the tenure of a Federal Minister. The appointment and removal of a Minister are matters for the President and constitutional processes, not ultimatums from pressure groups,” Shuni asserted.
The organisation called for practical solutions to insecurity rather than a blame game, urging civil society groups to support community intelligence, early-warning systems and initiatives against radicalisation.
“The real challenge before all Nigerians is not, ‘Who should we blame?’ It is, ‘What can each of us do to help Nigeria defeat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and violent crime?’ Security is everybody’s business,” Shuni concluded.