A coalition of prominent Nigerian academics, lawyers and policy advocates has rejected the deployment of United States military personnel to Nigeria, warning that the move threatens national sovereignty and may contravene constitutional provisions.
In a joint statement titled “No to Foreign Forces in Our Land: Defend Our Sovereignty,” the group said the arrival of about 200 US soldiers in advisory and training roles raises “serious constitutional and sovereignty concerns.”
The statement was signed by human rights lawyer Femi Falana, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Dr. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Dr. Dauda Garuba, Prof. Massaud Omar, Prof. Mohammed Kuna, Engr. YZ Ya’u and Dr. Usman Bugaje.
The condemnation follows confirmation by US and Nigerian officials that American military aircraft have begun landing in Nigeria as part of a temporary counterterrorism support mission. US authorities said the aircraft flow would continue for several weeks.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ), however, maintained that the American personnel are technical specialists serving strictly in advisory and training capacities, not combat troops, and that all activities will operate under Nigerian authority and in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Despite that assurance, the signatories insisted that foreign troop presence demands strict constitutional scrutiny. Citing Section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution, they stressed that no treaty between Nigeria and another country can have the force of law unless enacted by the National Assembly.
The group framed its objection within Nigeria’s historical posture against foreign military dominance. They referenced the 1960 Anglo-Nigerian Defence Pact, which was abolished in 1962 after widespread public opposition, arguing that “political independence without military sovereignty is incomplete.”
They also recalled Nigeria’s defiance of American pressure during the 1976 Organisation of African Unity summit on Angola, when former Head of State Murtala Mohammed declared that Africa had “come of age” and would not operate under the orbit of extra-continental powers. According to the statement, his pronouncement represented “a declaration of continental dignity and sovereign equality,” not mere rhetoric.
Further historical precedents were cited to reinforce their position. In 2001, a proposed Military Cooperation Agreement between Nigeria and the United States was withdrawn after opposition from Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence. In 2003, Nigeria signed a Bilateral Immunity Agreement shielding American citizens from surrender to the International Criminal Court, but by 2005 the Senate nullified the deal, citing constitutional violations and inconsistency with the Rome Statute.
“These episodes demonstrate a consistent national principle: foreign military arrangements must comply with Nigeria’s Constitution and must never compromise our sovereignty,” the statement read.
The coalition also rejected suggestions that Nigeria’s security forces are incapable of handling internal threats. They pointed to the country’s record in international peacekeeping under the United Nations and African Union, including leadership roles in ECOMOG missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Rather than depending on foreign troops, they recommended strengthening domestic capacity—fully equipping and modernising the Nigeria Police Force and Armed Forces, improving intelligence coordination, enhancing troop welfare and morale, investing in local defence production, and tackling socio-economic drivers of insecurity.
ENigeria Newspaper gathered that they also warned that sovereignty “is not a ceremonial concept but the foundation of statehood,” cautioning that once foreign troops are stationed on national soil without transparent constitutional processes, sovereignty becomes “diluted, incrementally, perhaps quietly but meaningfully.”
The statement concluded with a cautionary note: “Nigeria must not drift into arrangements that future generations will struggle to reverse. History teaches us that sovereignty surrendered in the name of expediency is rarely easily reclaimed.”
The group urged the federal government to remain faithful to Nigeria’s longstanding tradition of rejecting neo-colonial defence pacts and any military agreements that do not fully comply with constitutional requirements.
