In a stark security advisory, prominent Nigerian cleric Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele has raised the alarm over escalating terrorism, identifying eleven states and the Federal Capital Territory as high-risk zones for impending attacks.
Urgent Warning to President Tinubu
Primate Ayodele, the leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Lagos, issued a direct warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday, December 2. He urged the president to decisively end the pervasive insecurity plaguing the nation before April 2026.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric revealed that terrorist elements are actively plotting to target prominent personalities across Nigeria. He linked this threat directly to the government's approach of negotiating with insurgents, a tactic he believes allows them to grow stronger.
List of High-Risk States and Territories
The outspoken prophet specifically named areas requiring immediate government attention. According to him, terrorists are planning to carry out deadly attacks in December and January.
The flagged locations are:
- Kogi
- Nasarawa
- Adamawa
- Yobe
- Enugu
- Edo
- Ogun
- Ondo
- Abuja (FCT)
- Kebbi
- Jigawa
Threat to the 2027 Electoral Process
Primate Ayodele delivered a grave prediction concerning Nigeria's democratic future. He cautioned that the 2027 general elections may not hold as scheduled if the security crisis is not urgently addressed.
"If care isn’t taken, the election may not hold as planned because of insecurity," he stated. "If they continue with the negotiation, we are still playing with fire. The government must end insecurity before the election, if not, they will take over the election. They are ready to attack politicians during the campaign if action isn’t taken by April."
He argued that continued negotiations empower terrorist groups, potentially allowing them to infiltrate and disrupt election campaigns and the entire electoral process.
Critique of VIP Police Withdrawal
The cleric also weighed in on the recent policy of withdrawing police escorts from Very Important Persons (VIPs). He described the move as counterproductive, warning that it could create more opportunities for kidnappings and attacks.
"The withdrawal of police from VIPs isn’t the answer. They will soon start kidnapping prominent personalities," Ayodele asserted, emphasizing that the policy has exposed these individuals to greater danger.
This warning comes amidst a prolonged period of violence in Africa's most populous nation. For over 15 years, insurgent groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have caused devastation primarily in the northeast. Simultaneously, armed gangs, known locally as bandits, routinely carry out kidnappings for ransom in the northwest.
The advisory follows recent international attention on Nigeria's security situation, including a controversial statement from former US President Donald Trump threatening a "guns-a-blazing" military intervention over claims of failed protection for Christians.
