Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has commended the Federal Government for entering into a landmark security pact with the State of Israel.
The pact was reportedly signed by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel-Harpaz.
According to MBF spokesman, Luka Binniyat, in a statement on Friday, “This agreement is historic and strategic”, pointing out that “It represents a new phase in Nigeria’s long struggle against terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes that have destabilised our country for over a decade and a half.”
The MBF, while speaking for the ethnic nationalities spread across 14 states of the Middle Belt and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), declared “its total and unreserved support for this sovereign initiative.”
Binniyat said, “Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, this wise and courageous move by the Federal Government has been met with protest from some quarters”.
He explained, “On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, some Muslim leaders in Ibadan organised a peaceful demonstration opposing the security ties between Nigeria and Israel. The protest was orchestrated by the Ibadan branch of Aqsah Nigeria and attended by Islamic figures, including Dr. Dawud Amoo-Alaga, Sheikh Abdulwaheed Abdul Hamid, Sheikh Abdul Fatah Sanni, Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafii, including Prof Ishaq Akintola, Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), among others.
“The protesters cited the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, mass civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and starvation as their reason to oppose a military pact with Israel. We also note with concern the unfounded claims of Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, after the signing of the agreement, when he alleged that Mossad has marked some Muslim clerics for elimination in Nigeria”, he added.
“This is dangerous fearmongering. Perhaps Sheikh Gumi’s anxiety arises from the fact that Israel’s intelligence capabilities may already know more about his dealings than even the Saudis, who banned him from Mecca and deported him during the last Hajj. MBF completely disagrees with him. It is those who have skeletons in their cupboard that should fear Mossad”, he stressed.
Binniyat continued: ” We must stress clearly that this pact has nothing to do with religion. It is not connected in any way to the conflict between Israel, Hamas, or any other group in the Middle East. Rather, it is a purely security-driven decision, taken to defend Nigerians: Christians, Muslims, and all faiths, against forces that threaten liberties, peace and the very survival of our nation. It is all about National interest over any other consideration”.
He said, “Nigeria cannot take sides in Israeli relationships with its neighbours when it has no less grave security challenges at this point. Nigeria cannot continue to suffer endless killings, kidnappings and economic stagnation while rejecting assistance and cooperation with partners who have shown great degree of success in combating terror”.
Binniyat further noted, “It has been estimated that since 2009, Boko Haram insurgency has killed over 35,000 Nigerians and displaced more than 2 million people. In the North-West, rural banditry claimed around 12,354 lives by 2021 alone, according to reports. Between May 2015 and April 2024, Nigeria recorded an estimated one million kidnappings, with families paying an astonishing ₦2.2 trillion in ransom, according to various sources.”
He further remarked, “In the Sahelian North West, hundreds of villages have been sacked and hundreds currently remain under the control of armed Fulani bandits. Across the Middle Belt, hundreds of communities have been wiped out, their lands occupied by terrorists and armed Fulani bandits. In Plateau State, the Fulani militia have not fully settled themselves in these captured villages of natives, but have renamed them to Fulani names. The economic damage is devastating.”
“Beyond ransom payments, destroyed farmlands, abandoned homes, and halted development projects, Nigeria has lost several trillions of naira to terrorism and banditry since 2009. This is not to talk of the cost of fighting these terror groups and the casualties suffered by our troops. For many rural communities, insecurity has turned fertile farmlands into ghost villages, worsening hunger and poverty, which directly or indirectly affects every Nigerian”, he added.
He said: “It is against this backdrop that the MBF views the Nigeria–Israel security pact as both timely and necessary. Israel has decades of experience in counter-terrorism and advanced technology in intelligence gathering, drone surveillance, and rapid-response mechanisms. These are precisely the tools Nigeria needs to win this war.”
“The MBF therefore urges the Federal Government to ensure the immediate and full implementation of this agreement. The Middle Belt people, speaking through the MBF, stand firmly behind this milestone agreement. We reaffirm our support for the Federal Government in safeguarding lives, restoring peace, and upholding the rights of Nigerians across all communities. This pact is a bold step forward, and history will remember it as one of the turning points in Nigeria’s fight against terror”, the statement added.
