Clerics criticise President Tinubu’s UK visit as Nigeria reels from bombings, urging focus on national security and victims in Borno

An association of Igbo Christian clergymen has sharply criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom, calling it a “callous abandonment” of Nigerians amid ongoing terror attacks.

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Tinubu departed Nigeria on Tuesday for London, accompanied by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, senior aides, and government officials, marking the first Nigerian state visit to the UK in 37 years following an invitation by King Charles III.

The UK trip coincided with a bomb attack in Maiduguri, Borno State, which left at least 23 people dead and hundreds injured. In a statement signed by Rev Tony Uzo Anthony, the Concerned Igbo Ministers condemned Tinubu for prioritising red carpet receptions and photo opportunities over the bloodshed at home.

“At the very moment a suicide bomber unleashes carnage in Borno, while mass slaughter continues across the North and in the President’s own backyard in Osun State, the so-called leader chooses red carpets, handshakes with King Charles III and photo-ops with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the blood of his citizens,” the clerics said.

The ministers argued that Tinubu should have cancelled the UK trip to visit Maiduguri and assess the situation firsthand. They described the president’s decision as “criminal negligence” and claimed that diplomacy alone cannot address Nigeria’s escalating insecurity.

The association also praised the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and his Eastern Security Network (ESN), asserting that the initiative has ensured relative safety in the South-East. They urged Tinubu to use the state visit to secure Kanu’s release, criticising Britain’s alleged obstruction of justice.

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“President Tinubu now has the perfect platform face-to-face with the very authorities whose influence matters to end this national shame,” the statement added. “Anything less will confirm that this government cares more about foreign validation than the lives and aspirations of its people.”