The Citizens for Secure Nation (CSN) on Thursday condemned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over what it called “opportunistic and inflammatory commentary” on Nigeria’s security crisis.

Naija News reports that the coalition of civil society groups issued the statement in Kaduna on Thursday.

The coalition said the opposition party was exploiting citizens’ anxieties and victims’ grief to “score cheap political points” rather than pursue meaningful reforms.

According to CSN, the ADC’s recent remarks were “designed to cast government as conspiratorial and complicit,” and were being amplified without verifiable proof.

CSN President, Musa Danladi Maikawa, said the ADC had ‘crossed a troubling line’ by making allegations that could erode public trust in security agencies battling bandits and terrorists.

“We cannot allow a political party to weaponise the pain of grieving families for narrow advantage,” Maikawa said.

Maikawa recognised legitimate public anger on banditry, kidnapping and school safety, but warned that no political actor should inflame tensions when agencies are working to stabilise Nigeria.

He said the ADC’s portrayal of rescue operations was “unfair to security personnel who have intensified coordinated action across multiple theatres.”

The coalition also rejected insinuations being spread about secret concessions or negotiations between the government and terror-linked groups.

Maikawa stated, “There is no justification for painting security forces as collaborators with terrorists.

“Such rhetoric is dangerous. It casts suspicion on agencies that citizens rely on for protection and gives oxygen to extremist propaganda.”

Maikawa warned that ADC claims were being pushed “without a shred of verifiable proof,” adding that extremist propaganda feeds off misinformation and weakens institutional credibility.

“Even more worrisome is that these claims are being made without a shred of verifiable proof,” he said.

CSN said it verified the whereabouts of key individuals mentioned in past viral alarm posts, including confirmation from family members of the accused cleric, noting that “no bail condition was ever violated.”

The coalition also faulted ADC comments on school closures, insisting that shutdowns were temporary safety decisions made after risk assessments.

Maikawa said, “Countries across the world shut down facilities when credible threats arise. What matters is that the closures are temporary and that security is being scaled up so teaching can resume.”

Earlier in his remarks, Maikawa underscored that the nation needs cohesion, not panic-fueled rhetoric.

“Our country is going through a difficult period and what we need is constructive engagement, not reckless commentary,” he added.

The CSN president urged opposition actors to demonstrate restraint, patriotic responsibility, and channel their influence into visible, serious proposals to support the national security fight.

“Nigeria’s fight against violent groups demands unity, intelligence sharing, and proposals that help protect our people,” he said.

Maikawa also urged ADC and others to “channel their energy into supporting reforms, strengthening community-security collaboration,” warning that “lives of citizens should never be used as political currency.”

The coalition said narratives portraying gov­ernment security direction as clandestine or conspiratorial were “capable of discouraging local cooperation with authorities,” and unhelpful to confidence building at community levels.

He rejected any suggestion that precautionary action meant weakness.

“It is irresponsible to suggest that government is surrendering to terrorists simply because it has taken precautionary action to prevent children from being harmed,” Maikawa added.

CSN said it will continue to monitor statements by political actors, challenging narratives that distort the complexity of Nigeria’s security efforts.

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