The Southern, Middle-Belt Leaders Forum have threatened to mount a legal challenge against President Muhammadu Buhari over the lopsided recruitment that is underway at the State Security Service.

The group said Mr. Buhari has repeatedly failed to display sensitivity towards Nigeria’s multi-ethnic, multi-religious fabric. 

“We will not cease to do all we can to rescue the country from the nepotic grip of President Buhari,” the group said in a statement condemning the recruitment by Director-General Yusuf Bichi.

The statement, which came barely hours after Peoples Gazette exposed the skewed hiring arrangement at the secret police, was signed by Guy Ikokwu, Southeast; Senator Bassey Henshaw; South-South; Dr. Isuwa Dogo, Middle-Belt; and Yinka Odumakin, Southwest. 

Mr. Odumakin in a separate telephone conversation with the Gazette said Mr. Buhari has failed to reign his top aides who have continued to display a sectional hiring approach in national security and other prominent positions in government. 

“The DG has put a sharp knife to the rope holding what’s left of Nigeria together with through an insensitive and impunitious lopsided recruitment into the agency,” Mr. Odumakin said.

A spokesman for the SSS did not return a request for comments about the outrage from southern leaders. Presidential spokespersons also did not return requests seeking comments for this story Tuesday evening.

The Gazette’s findings showed how Mr. Bichi activated a lopsided hiring process predominantly favour Nigerians from the North.

Of the total 628 cadet trainees who had resumed at the Bauchi facility as of September 23, 535  trainees joined the service from either the Northeast or the Northwest. Only 93 were from either the Southeast, South-South, Southwest or North-Central.

The SSS had conducted a similarly lopsided recruitment in 2017, but it was never reversed despite public outcry.

The Southern, Middle-Belt Leaders Forum said the current recruitment would not stand, saying that it would add additional layer to an ongoing lawsuit against Mr. Buhari’s alleged sectional practices.