*Photo: American national, Mr. Alex Barbir (also known as Eyal Yakoby)*
The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria, issues this statement with a profound sense of urgency and national concern over the alarming presence and activities of an American national, Mr. Alex Barbir (also known as Eyal Yakoby), whose conduct in Plateau and Benue States represents a direct threat to Nigeria’s peace, sovereignty, and collective security.
The facts emerging are not only disturbing – they are dangerous.
A foreign national reportedly linked to Blackwater/Academi, a private military contractor, is reportedly moving freely in Nigeria with armed police protection and inciting religious hostility. This situation is concerning and warrants attention from Nigerian authorities.
Under the guise of humanitarian engagement with internally displaced persons, Mr. Barbir has allegedly engaged in reckless and provocative rhetoric, openly inciting Christians against Muslims and fueling anti-Fulani sentiments in already fragile communities. This is not advocacy. This is not humanitarianism. This is a calculated attempt to deepen division and ignite conflict.
Even more alarming is the reported sequence of events linking his presence and inciting speeches in Jos to the outbreak of violence in Rukuba, which led to the tragic loss of lives. Whether by coincidence or design, the implications are too grave to ignore. Nigeria has seen this pattern before – outsiders light the match and disappear, leaving communities to burn.
Let it be said without ambiguity: Nigeria will not be turned into a theatre for imported conflict. The reported association of Mr. Barbir with local instigators, alongside claims of security escort during his activities, raises serious and troubling questions. Who authorized his movements? Who is shielding him? Under what arrangement did a foreign national enjoy law enforcement protection to disseminate hate within our borders? If these questions are not answered immediately and transparently, the perception – rightly or wrongly – will be that such actions enjoy institutional tolerance or complicity. That perception alone is dangerous enough to erode public trust and inflame tensions.
MPAC therefore calls on the Nigerian state to act – not with hesitation, but with decisive authority:
- The Department of State Services (DSS) must immediately detain and investigate Mr. Alex Barbir, uncover his networks, affiliations, and true mission in Nigeria.
- The Nigeria Police Force must publicly explain any role its officers played in providing escort or protection, and those found complicit must be held accountable.
- The Nigerian Immigration Service must review and disclose the basis of his entry and determine whether he has violated the terms of his stay.
- The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) must treat this as a national security priority, with a comprehensive assessment and immediate containment strategy.
If found culpable, Mr. Barbir must face the full consequences of Nigerian law, including prosecution, deportation, and permanent blacklisting.
No nation that takes itself seriously allows a foreign actor – surrounded by armed law enforcement officers- to engage in provocative, and ideologically driven outbursts to walk its streets, demonize its citizens on one hand and inflame its people on the other, and walk away without accountability. That is not sovereignty. That is surrender.
We echo the growing public concern: Nigeria belongs to Nigerians. No foreign agent, under any disguise – humanitarian, religious, or political – should be allowed to enter this country and set it on fire.
MPAC warns in the strongest possible terms that failure to act swiftly will embolden others. Silence will be interpreted as consent. Inaction will carry consequences.
The Nigerian government must rise to this moment. Our security institutions whose officers were seen around Mr. Barbir must prove that his poisonous message does not carry official endorsement, and that they are capable, alert, and uncompromising in defending the unity and stability of this nation.
The time to act is now – firmly, lawfully, and without fear or favour.
Disu Kamor
Executive Chairman
Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Nigeria
kamor.disu@mpac-ng.org
www.mpac-ng.org
Lagos, Tuesday, 31/03/2026
PRESS RELEASE