Treat Opponents Of US Military Action As Terrorists, Enemies Of State—Adaji

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Chief Ben Adaji, has urged President Bola Tinubu to regard individuals opposing the recent United States military action against terrorist targets in Nigeria as enemies of the nation.

Chief Adaji made the call in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, following criticisms by some Islamic clerics after against the airstrikes.

The APC chieftain described the condemnation of the military action as either “the height of hypocrisy or an open admission of complicity” in the atrocities that terrorist groups have inflicted on Nigerians for several years.

Adaji, a former House of Representatives candidate for Ankpa Federal Constituency in Kogi State, said Nigerians had endured immense suffering, loss of lives and destruction of property due to the activities of terrorists across the country.

“The damage they have caused is simply unquantifiable. Are we talking about the lives lost, the properties destroyed, or the humiliation of Nigeria before the global community?” he said.

According to him, it is “unfathomable” that any rational person would sympathise with terrorist groups, insisting that such sympathy could only suggest complicity.

“I listened to some senior clerics condemning the action of the US military with utter consternation. Every well-meaning Nigerian should be grateful to the United States for taking this bold step,” Adaji said.

He urged President Tinubu to take firm action against anyone openly condemning the US intervention.

“For me, anyone who condemns the US military action should be treated as a terrorist. Such individuals are either the masterminds or beneficiaries of the activities of these criminals.

“There should be no negotiation with terrorists. They should be decisively eliminated,” he said.

Adaji further called on the US to sustain and expand its operations to all parts of the country affected by terrorism, including areas plagued by banditry and violent attacks by armed groups.

“This is the right time to end this madness. I am confident that the US President Donald Trump will see this mission through to the end,” he added.

He urged the federal government and the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure the public prosecution of individuals identified as sponsors or supporters of terrorism.

“The actions of terrorists are an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Any individual or group condemning the US airstrikes is an enemy of the nation and should be treated accordingly,” he said.

He expressed concern that the country’s security challenges, which have claimed hundreds of lives and caused billions of naira in losses, are being politicised.

“That God made you a religious leader does not place you above the law. Christians and Muslims alike have suffered from these criminals. There is no justification for dialogue with foreign elements waging war against Nigeria’s sovereignty,” he said.

Adaji also called on Nigerian security agencies to remain resolute in defending citizens and protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.