The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has raised serious objections to Nigeria’s newly announced security partnership with Israel, warning that the agreement poses a grave threat to national sovereignty and risks entangling the country in alleged violations of international law.
In a statement issued yesterday, MPAC described the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State of Israel, focusing on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, security financing, and advanced training, as a “dangerous gamble” that could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s global standing and internal security.
Signed by its executive chairman, Disu Kamor, MPAC questioned the wisdom of collaborating with a state currently facing international scrutiny for alleged war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
The organization pointed to ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where Israel has been accused of grave human rights abuses, including mass civilian casualties and deliberate destruction of infrastructure in Gaza.
“To imagine that such a state, whose security doctrine is defined by unrestrained violence, collective punishment, and disregard for civilian immunity, can provide credible solutions to Nigeria’s security crisis is to embrace a dangerous illusion,” said MPAC.
The group cautioned that by engaging Israel at this juncture, Nigeria risks complicity in crimes against humanity.
“By allowing Israeli security contractors, who may deploy tactics and technologies tested on Palestinian civilians—into our security infrastructure, Nigeria risks violating its obligations under international law, which prohibits aiding or abetting breaches of humanitarian norms,” the statement read.
MPAC also criticized Israel’s track record of allegedly manufacturing intelligence to justify military actions, warning that such practices could be politically manipulated in Nigeria’s volatile security environment.
MPAC rejected the notion that Nigeria’s security challenges can be solved through foreign intervention, arguing that genuine security must come from internal reform and investment.
“From Mali to Somalia, foreign security arrangements have led to long-term dependence and weakened institutions. Israel’s interests in Nigeria are not altruistic; they are commercial, geopolitical, and strategic,” Kamor said.
The statement also cast doubt on the effectiveness of Israeli defense technologies, citing recent failures to prevent attacks within Israel’s own borders, including the October 2023 Hamas-led incursion and a missile strike by Iran earlier in 2025.
The organization demanded that all agreements and memoranda signed with Israel be made public and subjected to legislative and civil oversight.
It further urged the Federal Government to suspend implementation of the Israel security agreement until all legal proceedings at the ICJ are concluded, ensure that any future security arrangements include binding human rights clauses and independent monitoring, and reaffirm Nigeria’s longstanding foreign policy principles of justice, peace, and self-determination—especially concerning Palestine.
MPAC laid out a comprehensive list of recommendations for Nigeria’s internal path to peace, which include reforming and equipping security agencies, strengthening rule of law and accountability, engaging religious and community leaders, promoting socio-economic development, and deepening cooperation with African and multilateral partners.
“Nigeria can and must chart its own course to lasting peace, one grounded in justice and national dignity,” Kamor emphasized. “To outsource our security to a foreign power standing trial for genocide is not a solution; it is a betrayal.”
