The Nigerian government has cautioned that any US military operation in the country without its consent would be diplomatically offensive and unacceptable.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, said this during an interview with the BBC World Service on Monday.
He stressed that Nigeria is a sovereign state and any foreign involvement in its internal security must be based on collaboration and mutual respect for the country’s territorial integrity.
Though, this is coming after President Donald Trump redesigned Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over what he described as the persecution of Christians.
Trump had also warned that Nigeria could lose U.S. aid if it failed to address rising insecurity, even threatening to deploy America’s “Department of War” against terrorist groups allegedly targeting Christians.
But reacting, Bwala said Trump’s statements were completely misconstrued, expressing strong believe that the issue would be clarified when President Tinubu meets with his U.S. counterpart in the coming days.
He commended Trump for approving arms sales to Nigeria during his first term, describing it as a demonstration of goodwill and support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
Also, Bwala dismissed claims of an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, adding that insecurity in the country cuts across religious and ethnic boundaries.
“We are grateful to President Donald Trump because during his first term, he approved arms sales that strengthened Nigeria’s fight against insurgency.
“In his second term, he has again shown interest in supporting the fight against Boko Haram, which we welcome—but such efforts must rely on credible intelligence, not isolated reports or social media narratives,” Bwala said.
Speaking on Trump’s warning of potential US military involvement, Bwala insisted that any such action would only be legitimate if done jointly with the Nigerian government.
“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable. But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign nation without collaboration—especially one that remains a strategic partner in the fight against insecurity.
“Unilateral intervention only happens when there is evidence that a government is complicit in a crisis. That is certainly not the case in Nigeria,” he said.