In a significant policy shift aimed at neutralizing the persistent threat of cross-border terrorism, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally established the “No Sanctuary Doctrine.” The policy, articulated by Ademola Oshodi, asserts that Nigeria will no longer accept international borders as a shield for armed groups that launch attacks on Nigerian soil before retreating into neighboring territories. This doctrine posits that any external staging ground used to sustain hostility against the Nigerian state falls within the nation’s operational security concern and will be met with coordinated, lawful force. The move follows a decade of asymmetric warfare where insurgents have exploited the “Borderland Paradox” to regroup and re-arm in ungoverned spaces across Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
The “No Sanctuary Doctrine” is anchored on existing legal frameworks, primarily the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) established by the Lake Chad Basin Commission. By leveraging these regional agreements, Nigeria aims to execute intelligence-led, cross-border operations that deny operational space to hostile actors without infringing on the sovereignty of neighboring states. As part of this renewed vigor, Nigeria has bolstered its financial and military commitments to ECOWAS, including the development of a regional standby force for counter-terrorism. President Tinubu has emphasized that while cooperation with neighbors remains the priority, Nigeria will not hesitate to act within established bilateral and international laws to protect its citizens from transnational threats that have previously cost thousands of lives and displaced millions.
