Lawyer Petitions Tinubu, Seeks Review Of Security Chiefs’ Tenure, Wants NSCDC CG Audi Sacked, Probed

A lawyer and human-rights activist, Hamza N. Dantani Esq, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling for a review of the tenures of heads of security and law-enforcement agencies and the sack of the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps [NSCDC], Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi.

In a letter addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief, titled “An Appeal For Review Of Security Agency Tenures, Accountability And Protection Of Citizens’ Rights And Call To Sack The Commandant General Of The Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps,” Dantani said he was writing out of concern for the rule of law, constitutional governance and protection of Nigerians’ rights.

“I write as a lawyer and human-rights activist, deeply concerned about the rule of law, constitutional governance, and the protection of Nigerians’ rights and liberties,” he stated.

He appealed to the President to review the continued stay in office of security chiefs whose statutory or service tenure has expired or whose continued stay raises questions of legality, retirement and institutional accountability.

Of particular concern, he said, is the tenure of the NSCDC Commandant-General, whose appointment was renewed by the President for another five years, effective February 27, 2026.

“I respectfully urge Your Excellency to consider terminating his tenure and directing an independent investigation into any credible allegations or complaints concerning his administration, conduct, or exercise of powers, with due process and without prejudging the outcome,” Dantani said.

He stressed that his concern is not personal but about the principle that no public office should be above the law and no security institution should operate beyond constitutional accountability.

“My concern is not personal. It is about the principle that no public office should be above the law, and no security institution should operate beyond constitutional accountability,” he wrote.

The activist cited Sections 35 and 36(5) of the Constitution, which protect personal liberty and guarantee presumption of innocence, noting that investigation, arrest or allegation must never become a substitute for proof before a competent court.

“Your Excellency, I respectfully submit that the Presidency should remain principally focused on the rights, welfare, and security of the Nigerian people. Security is not merely about the power of government to arrest or detain; it is also about protecting citizens from unlawful detention, intimidation, torture, abuse of power, and denial of due process,” he said.

He warned that bypassing constitutional and institutional boundaries undermines government credibility.

“I also respectfully appeal to Your Excellency to remember that once constitutional and institutional boundaries are repeatedly bypassed, the consequences eventually affect the credibility of government itself. No government should create precedents that may later undermine the same constitutional safeguards it depends upon,” he added.

Dantani accordingly called for:

1. A review of the tenure of the Commandant-General of the NSCDC and other security chiefs whose tenure or retirement status requires clarification.
2. Consideration of the termination of the NSCDC Commandant-General’s tenure and an independent investigation into credible allegations against him.
3. Strict compliance with the Constitution in matters of arrest, detention, access to counsel, and the presumption of innocence.
4. Greater presidential attention to the fundamental rights and welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
5. Stronger accountability mechanisms within all security and law-enforcement agencies.

“Nigeria needs strong security institutions, but those institutions must be institutions of law, not institutions above the law,” he concluded.