US Military Action Not Solution To Nigeria’s Insecurity, Says Taraba CAN Chair

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Taraba State has cautioned that direct military intervention by the United States in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism would not provide a lasting solution to the country’s insecurity challenges.

CAN Chairman in the state, Very Rev. Fr. William Owoshiri, stated this in an interview with journalists at the end of a special interdenominational service, held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Jalingo.

Rev. Fr. Owoshiri, who is also a lecturer with the Taraba State University, expressed concern that foreign military involvement could create deeper security problems once such missions were concluded.

According to him, while recent military offensives by the United States government under President Donald Trump against extremist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) may appear effective in the short term, similar intervention in Nigeria could expose the country to renewed waves of violence after withdrawal of foreign forces.

Owoshiri stressed that Nigeria’s insecurity is fundamentally an internal problem that requires strong political will and adequate empowerment of the nation’s security agencies, rather than reliance on external troops.

He questioned the Federal Government decision to opt for temporary foreign military support instead of fully equipping and strengthening Nigeria’s armed forces to address the challenge decisively.

The CAN chairman recalled Nigeria’s successful peacekeeping roles in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, and other conflict zones across Africa, noting that the scale of insecurity in those countries was more severe than what Nigeria currently faces.

“Our security forces are strong enough to confront any aggression,” he said.

“They are well trained personnel. If the government has the will, the Nigerian military can handle this challenge without external forces.”

He argued that foreign intervention would only offer a short term solution, and asked how long such external forces would remain in the country before Nigeria confronts the same challenges again.

“This is our internal problem, and we have the capacity to face it. What we need is the political will to say enough is enough and to flush out these bad criminal elements,” he added.

He further emphasised that Nigeria’s Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defence Corps, and even local vigilante groups possess the capacity to confront terrorists, particularly if properly equipped and supported with modern weapons, drones, and intelligence.

The CAN chairman noted that local vigilantes, with their knowledge of the terrain and forests, could play a critical role if adequately empowered.

He called on the United States and other allies to support Nigeria through intelligence sharing, logistics assistance, and the provision of modern surveillance equipment.

He cited conflicts in countries such as Ukraine, Russia, and Gaza, and warned that external military involvement often complicates crises rather than resolving them.

“We do not want a situation where external intervention will compound our problems. What we need is support that strengthens our capacity, not one that weakens our sovereignty,” Owoshiri said.