United States President Donald Trump’s threat to order military action against terrorists due to the Nigerian government’s alleged failure to stop killings by insurgent groups has elicited varied responses from the citizens at the grassroots and prominent associations.
While expressing fears over the sincerity of Trump’s statement to restrict his action to the terrorists and their enclaves to stop the alleged “genocide against Nigeria’s Christians”, the respondents said they were against any American intervention that would undermine the country’s sovereignty.
Early this month, Trump had ordered the American military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups carrying out genocide against Christians in Nigeria, accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect the victims.
The U.S. president said he had instructed the recently renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action.”
In a social media post, Trump said the United States would immediately cut off all assistance “if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
In separate interviews with LEADERSHIP Sunday on the threat, the respondents, drawn from various parts of the country, civil society organisations, religious bodies, professional groups, retired military personnel, artisans and traders, differed on the claims that more Christians were being killed than Muslims by the terrorists and bandits.
In Lagos State, Abimbola Alagbe, who described himself as an industrialist, welcomed Trump’s planned intervention, saying it would address leadership failure in Nigeria.
He said, “I know the criticisms that came were because Trump said the killings are targeted at Christians. That’s the truth. Muslims are also being killed.
‘’But who is shouting on behalf of Muslims? And who are the insurgents that are killing the people, particularly in the north and in some parts of the south? When people are killing others and are shouting Allahu Akbar, what do you make of it?
“The Nigerian leadership has failed in addressing the malaise over the years. And if they have been indifferent to it and a leader outside the country says this is what the leadership in Nigeria should have done but I will do it, we should support him to flush out the criminals,” he said.
A Lagos-based trader, Awosanya David, expressed fear that the current situation could be worsened by foreign military involvement.
He said, “Honestly, I feel both hopeful and uneasy. People like us at the grassroots will bear the brunt if the United States carries out its threat. Such an operation could escalate the present violence, push more people out of their homes, cause more deaths and disrupt essential daily life.”
A resident, Silas Joshua, said that for Nigerians who have lived with insecurity and feel abandoned by the authorities, foreign assistance offers a sense of hope.
He said, “Trump’s planned military action in Nigeria sounds like a good move. Many Nigerians will be glad to see it happen and are eagerly anticipating real results. May God bless Trump for wanting to step in and rescue us. Our people are being wiped out daily, especially in the North. Most of the victims are Christians. The government has failed to act, so we desperately need help from the international community.”
However, a retired military officer, who identified himself simply as Emmanuel for security reasons, underlined the need to defended Nigeria’s sovereignty and questioned the United States’ motives.
He said, “Name one country the U.S. has entered that wasn’t left worse off afterwards. We should think carefully before supporting such an intervention. The U.S. has no moral or legal authority to launch any religiously motivated military campaign here. Nigeria is an independent nation and we do not need foreign powers dictating our affairs.”
CSOs, Cleric Differ On Trump’s Plan
In his comment, the convener of Good Governance Team Nigeria (GGT Nigeria), Tunde Salman, expressed optimism that Nigeria will overcome Trump’s pressure as South Africa did recently.
He, however, stressed the need for President Bola Tinubu to engage in extensive consultations within and outside the country to prepare Nigeria’s diplomatic responses to Washington’s threat.
He urged Tinubu to appoint ambassadors to represent Nigeria in foreign countries.
For its part, the Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) described Trump’s threat to invade Nigeria and cut off aid as reckless, unlawful and provocative.
It asserted that the development exposed both America’s declining respect for international norms and Nigeria’s collapsing diplomatic credibility under the current administration.
The executive director of PeacePro, Abdulrazaq Hamsat, said, “The statement by Trump would have been laughable if not for the tragic context that made it possible – the erosion of Nigeria’s moral voice and diplomatic weight in global affairs.
“Trump’s threat reflects Washington’s arrogance, but Nigeria’s weakness gave it life. No foreign power would dare contemplate such illegality against a country that commands respect abroad and coherence at home,” he added.
The Nigeria Political Scientists Association’s president, Prof. Hassan Saliu, said the US’ classification is potentially counterproductive.
He, however, added that it should prompt Nigeria to engage in diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
“Nigeria must therefore take concrete steps to demonstrate its commitment to effectively managing the security situation and to upholding human rights, as enshrined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and in international instruments.
“The lack of accountability for perpetrators, particularly in the context of the state’s perceived leniency, implicates the state and exacerbates the crisis. If the threat of the United States is activated, it would harm Nigeria more, reversing the country’s international gains and heightening religious consciousness, potentially leading to further disunity, among other consequences,” Saliu said.
However, Rev. Felix Ajide, a senior pastor at King Jesus Praiseland Assembly, Ilorin, said it was challenging to blame the few Nigerians calling for foreign help, which has attracted the attention of Trump and led to Nigeria being labelled a “Country of Particular Concern”.
He said Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of internal solutions, but rather a lack of political will and ethical leadership to address problems and challenges.
“Our vast national resources are continuously being plundered and wasted by a few corrupt individuals, leaving the majority in abject poverty and despair. Killing, kidnapping, maiming, and looting, among others, are still ongoing daily across the country and on the increase.
“The government and patriotic Nigerians should see President Trump’s action as a wake-up call to rise to the occasion and solve our problems before external aggression. The crisis at hand is beyond mere foreign intervention; we cannot afford to turn our land into another Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya in the name of foreign help,” he said.
CAN, Others React
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Enugu State Branch, Emmanuel Edeh, reiterated his position that Trump’s threat is a welcome development.
He said CAN was in support of America’s threat to send troops to help fight terrorists in the country.
The president of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, Barr Olu Omotayo, noted that under international law it was wrong to invade a sovereign country, but that if Trump’s troops must come, they should not occupy the entire country.
Omotayo said if Trump insists on sending troops to fight terrorists in Nigeria, they should focus on some parts of Northern Nigeria where the terrorists are operating.
A renowned church leader, Mr Obiinna Maduagwu, described the threat as a good development for Nigeria, but said there was a need for the foreign troops to collaborate with their Nigerian counterparts.
Benue resident welcome Trump’s intervention
Some Benue State residents, Teryange Jen, Adonai Ejeh and Sunday Saamo, who spoke to our correspondent, said the viewed Trump’s pronouncement as a welcome development.
They said that when a country cannot protect its citizens as enshrined in its Constitution, foreign intervention to help stop the persecution of Christians is justified.
A cleric, who spoke anonymously, added, “Enough is enough; if the federal government is incapable of stopping the killing of Christians, Trump’s action to end the massacre is welcome.”
A traditional ruler, who does not want his name in print, also backed Trump’s stance, citing ongoing killings by herdsmen and urged expedited action.
Katsina residents say no to Trump
The chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Katsina State, Comrade Abdulrahaman Abdullahi, cautioned against any form of foreign interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
In an interview in Katsina, Abdullahi emphasised that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation capable of addressing its own problems without external intervention.
He described Trump’s comments as “unnecessary and misleading,” stressing that insecurity in Nigeria cuts across religious lines and should not be used as an excuse for foreign powers to meddle in the nation’s affairs.
Alhaji Umar Usman, a resident of Na-Alma in Malumfashi local government area of the state, dismissed Trump’s plan to help Nigeria fight bandits, stressing that Christians were not the only ones being killed.
Trump’s threat an indictment of Nigerian Military
Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi, an elder statesman in Borno State, said the threat from Trump to invade Nigeria over killings is, in the first place, an indictment of the Nigerian military.
Ashemi said, contrary to the expectations of the people that Trump is coming to bomb Abuja, Kano, Sokoto or Borno State, Trump will target the insurgents and bandits and, if possible, take some of them out.
He said that if that happens, then the Nigerian military has failed, because he knows that the country’s armed forces are capable of dealing with the situation, but are not willing to act on it, possibly due to politics, corruption, or other factors.
“The Nigerian military is not interested in bringing these mad people to an end. Another aspect people don’t understand is that Trump is not coming to save any religion or ethnicity. The people reporting Nigeria to America are blinded by hatred, ethnicity or religious bias,” Ashemi said.
Comrade Bulama Abiso, the executive director of the Network of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Borno State, said the threat from the US President is severe and capable of altering the country’s dynamics, adding that there is a need to take the security situation in the country seriously.
“We need to document what is happening in the country so that at any given time, we can have clear evidence that what people are looking from the outside is not what is happening on the ground. We look at this as a wake-up call for us to document what is happening on the ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Northeast Zone of CAN, Bishop William Mohammed Naga urged security agencies to devise fresh strategies to handle the security challenges bedevilling the country.
Imo residents say federal govt not keen to stop the terrorists
A resident of Owerri, Imo State, John Okoronta, said the US threat of military onslaught against terrorists is a welcome development.
He said the terrorists have created challenges in the nation, killing citizens with reckless abandon, with help coming from nowhere.
According to him, the federal government is not showing seriousness in dealing with the terrorists and the bandits.
Another resident, Uche Onwuchekwa, said Trump’s move was a welcome development as the Nigerian government had not shown seriousness in dealing with the menace.
He indicated that a situation where state governors hold regular meetings with the terrorists without a concrete agreement was unacceptable.
Kaduna
A Kaduna-based artisan, Malam Sadiq Ibrahim, said, “I am surprised that the President of America wants to help our security challenges and people are opposing it. For me, I support the idea if he is only going to deal with Boko Haram and other terrorists who are making life difficult for people.”
Also, Mr Jonah Alkali said,” I feel pained when people deny that Christians are not targets of the killings. Christians are being killed in large numbers in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna and in many other parts of the country. Churches are being razed down and their houses are burnt with impunity, forcing many to live in displaced persons camps, We need U.S. support.”
Malam Dauda Tijjan insists that there is no genocide in Nigeria because both Christians and Muslims are being killed.
“President Trump should leave us alone; efforts are being made to address the killings, which have drastically reduced,” he said.
