The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, has warned the Federal Government against foreign security partnerships, saying such alliances could drag the country into conflicts affecting Muslims and threaten national unity.
In a statement released on Friday, MPAC expressed concern over Nigeria’s growing security cooperation with countries including Israel and the United States.
The group said these partnerships risk alienating the country’s Muslim population and could compromise the government’s constitutional duty to protect all citizens without discrimination.
MPAC specifically reiterated its opposition to the Nigeria–Israel Security Cooperation Agreement signed on August 22, 2025, describing it as “troubling and opaque.” The organisation argued that Israel’s foreign policy and military activities are incompatible with Nigeria’s national interest and could inflame religious tensions.
The group also cited remarks attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reportedly told U.S. evangelical leaders that Israel plans to support persecuted Christian communities in Nigeria through intelligence assistance.
MPAC said any such involvement should be viewed in the context of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the West Bank, which have caused civilian casualties and damaged historic religious sites, including Saint Porphyrius Church, Holy Family Church, and Al-Ahli Baptist Church.
The statement noted that the Christian population in Gaza has sharply declined due to conflict and displacement, and that ongoing hostilities have disrupted religious observances in Bethlehem, described by MPAC as a shared holy site for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
MPAC stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and violent crime, stem from governance and systemic failures rather than religion. The group warned that framing these issues through foreign military alliances with countries perceived as hostile to Muslims could worsen tensions and be counterproductive.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to review the Nigeria–Israel Security Cooperation Agreement, disclose its scope and implications to the public, and ensure that no foreign partnership compromises the safety or rights of Muslim citizens. It also called for homegrown, inclusive, and transparent security solutions that reflect Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity.
MPAC added that policies perceived as hostile to Muslim interests could affect public opinion and electoral outcomes, warning that Nigeria must avoid entanglement in wider geopolitical agendas that could fracture national unity, erode public trust, and weaken the state’s moral authority.