MPAC Condemns Nigeria–Israel Security Deal, Calls It “Dangerous Gamble”

The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has strongly criticized Nigeria’s newly announced security partnership with Israel, describing it as a threat to national sovereignty and a potential gateway to international legal violations.

The group’s position was contained in a statement on Tuesday by MPAC Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Israel and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Reports indicate the MoU covers tactical training, intelligence sharing, security financing, and counterterrorism cooperation. MPAC, however, called the deal a “dangerous gamble,” warning that Nigeria’s global reputation could be damaged by aligning with a state under international scrutiny for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

“To imagine that such a state whose security doctrine is shaped by unrestrained violence, collective punishment, and disregard for civilian immunity can offer meaningful solutions to Nigeria’s security crisis is to embrace a dangerous illusion,” the statement read.

MPAC argued that Nigeria could be implicated in violations of international humanitarian law if Israeli contractors introduced tactics or technology linked to human rights abuses in Palestinian territories.

The group also warned against Israel’s “habitual manipulation of intelligence,” saying Nigeria’s complex security environment could make it vulnerable to exploitation.

Kamor stressed that Nigeria should prioritize domestic reforms and local capacity building over foreign interventions. He noted that reliance on external powers often leads to dependency and institutional weakness, citing past failures in parts of Africa.

“From Mali to Somalia, foreign interventions have only created dependency and institutional decay. Israel’s motives in Nigeria are not humanitarian; they are geopolitical, commercial, and strategic,” he said.

MPAC questioned the reliability of Israel’s own defense systems, pointing to major setbacks such as the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel and the April 2025 Iranian missile strike on Tel Aviv.

“If Israel’s billion-dollar security architecture cannot protect its own cities, it is unrealistic to expect it will secure Nigeria’s markets, villages, and highways,” the group stated.

The organization demanded that all details of the MoU be made public and subjected to legislative and civil society review. It also urged the government to suspend the deal pending the outcome of international legal proceedings involving Israel.

Instead, MPAC outlined alternative pathways to sustainable security in Nigeria:

• Reforming and strengthening security forces.

• Promoting accountability and rule of law.

• Engaging religious and community leaders.

• Addressing socioeconomic drivers of insecurity.

• Deepening cooperation with African and multilateral institutions.

“Nigeria can and must chart its own path to peace, one built on justice, dignity, and national pride. To outsource our security to a foreign power facing genocide charges is not a solution; it is a betrayal,” Kamor concluded.