Kalejaye SAN: Tinubu must declare national emergency on terror now to save Nigeria

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaye has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently declare a national emergency on banditry, kidnapping and all forms of terrorism, warning that the escalating security crisis threatens to collapse the foundations of Nigeria’s security architecture.

In his Democracy Day message on Thursday, the Ibadan-based legal luminary and Chairman of Eagle FM, an Ijebu-based radio station, described the persistent wave of terror as a “national embarrassment” that has damaged Nigeria’s image both at home and before the international community.

—“Act now before it’s too late”–

Kalejaye said the Tinubu administration must move beyond reactive measures and adopt decisive, far-reaching actions to halt the insecurity before public confidence in state institutions is completely eroded.

“The Nigerian Army risks being perceived as incapable of defending the nation if urgent steps are not taken,” he warned.

He noted that public trust in the military has already suffered because bandits and kidnappers now routinely disguise themselves in military uniforms to carry out attacks.

“If this trend continues, the prestige and integrity traditionally associated with our armed forces will keep diminishing, exposing our personnel and symbols to ridicule and distrust,” the SAN added.

—Declare emergency, deploy all resources—

While acknowledging government efforts so far, Kalejaye argued that results would remain limited without a clear national declaration showing Nigeria’s collective resolve to confront terrorism.

“A declaration of national emergency on terror will send a strong message that the nation unequivocally rejects violence and is prepared to deploy all available resources to defeat it,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government to formulate and implement concrete strategies to crush terrorist operations, stressing that criminals have grown bolder and are no longer limited to remote communities. Their attacks, he said, are now spreading into major towns and cities.

—Democracy meaningless without security—

Kalejaye stressed that celebrating democracy amid constant threats to law and order undermines governance and projects a negative image of the country.

“The protection of lives and property remains one of the foremost constitutional responsibilities of any government. Security management must be proactive, not reactive. Threats to national security must be identified early and neutralised before they become too powerful to contain,” he said.

He concluded with a direct appeal: “It is left to President Tinubu to save our nation at this perilous time.”

Kalejaye’s call adds to growing pressure on the administration following Tinubu’s own Democracy Day pledge to commit N5.41 trillion to defence and security in the 2026 budget and take “no mercy” on terrorists.