SSA presses Tinubu to partner with US against worsening violence

Etim Ekpimah

The Southern Solidarity Alliance (SSA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fully cooperate with the government of the United States of America in tackling escalating insecurity and widespread violence across the country.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Ndubuisi Okafor, and Head of Publicity, Comrade Orakpor Emmanuel Ogheneganaye, on Saturday, 15 November 2025, the group described the current wave of killings, displacement, and destruction in several communities as one of Nigeria’s most troubling moments in recent history.

The SSA said countless Nigerians — including women, men, and children — have been killed or forced from their ancestral homes by violent groups, leaving many to live in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps while their communities remain occupied.

The group expressed concern that the pattern of attacks historically recorded in parts of the North is now gradually spreading into Southern states.

According to the statement, communities in Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Ebonyi and Enugu have witnessed increasing incidents of violence similar to those previously experienced in Kaduna, Plateau, Benue and Borno.

It added that the inability of successive governments to decisively address these threats has emboldened violent actors, contributing to the rise of several regional self-defence groups across the country.

The SSA noted that prior administrations — including those led by former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari — struggled with the growing influence of extremist groups, leaving the current government to confront a worsening security crisis.

“At this critical moment, the Federal Government must demonstrate stronger will and capacity to protect Nigerians,” the statement said.

The Alliance particularly urged the Tinubu administration to take seriously the concerns recently raised by U.S. President Donald J. Trump regarding ongoing killings and human rights abuses in Nigeria. It described the U.S. position as a “moral call” that the Nigerian government should embrace rather than interpret as interference in domestic affairs.

According to the group, deeper cooperation with the United States would enhance Nigeria’s access to intelligence, humanitarian support, and global partnerships necessary to confront those driving violence and division in the country.

“This is an opportunity to restore peace, rebuild public trust, and reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to the sanctity of human life,” the statement read. The SSA also urged the government to address structural and policy conditions that, in its view, enable such violence to take root.

The group appealed to President Tinubu to respond swiftly to the growing security challenges and work with international partners to halt the bloodshed.

“Let us rise together, hand in hand with America, to end violence and restore hope to our nation. Let the attacks cease, let healing begin, and let this generation be remembered for choosing peace over hate,” the statement concluded.