President Donald Trump is not the problem of Nigeria. Whatever may be his motivation and the framing, we should appreciate his stated desire to degrade terrorists. Nigerian rulers, since military rule, have been putting sovereignty at bay as all sorts of terrorists reduced the power of the State to protect helpless civilians, as Nigerian governments only focused on looting the national patrimony, in terrible acts of corruption.
The Boxing Day hit on Sokoto State in the North-West of Nigeria by the United States forces raises a number of problems, the main one being sovereignty. However, the concept of sovereignty has not been static. Under international law, it is agreed that sovereignty is not an abstract concept. In the main, it is the responsibility of each state to protect its citizens. It is obvious that the Nigerian State, given its leadership deficit, has been found wanting on the discharge of its sovereign responsibility in many parts of the country. Terrorists of whatever nomenclature have been killing Nigerians at will.
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It is allowed under international law for a State that is unable to fulfil its responsibility to protect its citizens to seek assistance on many fronts, including in trainings and collaborations in armed intervention. In actual fact, States agreed under soft international law in 2005 at the UN General Assembly, and under the Constitutive Act of the African Union before then, that when a State is unable or unwilling to protect its citizens, other States or a coalition of the willing can intervene and protect civilians, even if the State with the responsibility to do so objects to this. Thus, many Nigerians will agree that the recent pressures from the US president and government on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to protect Nigerian citizens is a welcomed development.
In the instance of what happened in Nigeria overnight between 25 and 26 December, the Nigerian Foreign Minister has clarified that the country was in collaboration with the US in seeking to degrade the capacity of terrorists to continue making life impossible for civilians on its territory. The claim is that intelligence showed an imminent gathering to attack Nigerians during the Christmas and New Year festivities. With time, we may know more about this claim. We may also have video footage and knowledge of the collateral damage that accompanies situations of this sort. However, the fact is that even those whom their sympathisers euphemistically call bandits, but the Nigerian government recently properly designated as terrorists, have been claiming Nigerian lives, as well as undermining the power of the Nigerian State to protect civilians.
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The government of President Tinubu has the challenge of demonstrating that it is very serious in fighting all criminal groups involved in the mass killing of Nigerians, including all the terrorists and those financing them. Many Nigerians are losing trust and confidence in the ability and political will of the Nigerian government to degrade terrorism. This is not the best time to dwell on so much technicalities and theories.
Personally, I will not worry about whether the terrorists who were hit overnight from Christmas into Boxing Day were members of Lakurawa, ISIL, ISWAP, or in what State they were hit, etc. What’s important is the need to have a rebuilding towards the respect for the right to life in Nigeria. By the same token, the fact the terrorists have been hitting Christians, Muslims, and other faiths in Nigeria has been established. I will not waste time over whether the US government places emphasis on Christians. Any intervention to degrade the capacity of terrorists will save the lives of Nigerians, irrespective of faith.
My emphasis is on degrading as opposed to eradicating terrorism in Nigeria. I am not exactly sure if bombs from the air alone will eradicate terrorism. But it could also play its role. The government of President Tinubu has the challenge of demonstrating that it is very serious in fighting all criminal groups involved in the mass killing of Nigerians, including all the terrorists and those financing them. Many Nigerians are losing trust and confidence in the ability and political will of the Nigerian government to degrade terrorism. This is not the best time to dwell on so much technicalities and theories. What is needed now is adequate political will, urgency and swiftness in responding with actions that will degrade, de-motivate and dis-arm the many terrorists groups, a combination, as needed, application of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to stamp out impunity and put the financiers of terrorism away so that the value of life can once again be respected in Nigeria.
Depending on how best the Nigerian government exhibits leadership and seriousness, and engages in less propaganda, this would determine whether the problem would grow bigger. Supporters of terrorism (funders/investors and sympathisers for various reasons) are expected to fight back as they have been doing for almost two decades…
All means necessary are required to radically reduce terrorism and boost security in Nigeria.
President Donald Trump is not the problem of Nigeria. Whatever may be his motivation and the framing, we should appreciate his stated desire to degrade terrorists. Nigerian rulers, since military rule, have been putting sovereignty at bay as all sorts of terrorists reduced the power of the State to protect helpless civilians, as Nigerian governments only focused on looting the national patrimony, in terrible acts of corruption. The higher the level of corruption, the less the level of the rule of law, all of which results in insecurities of all sorts.
Depending on how best the Nigerian government exhibits leadership and seriousness, and engages in less propaganda, this would determine whether the problem would grow bigger. Supporters of terrorism (funders/investors and sympathisers for various reasons) are expected to fight back as they have been doing for almost two decades, as they use insecurities to undermine the Nigerian State and cart away the national patrimony in many parts of the country.
Babafemi A. Badejo, the author of several books, including a best seller on politics in Kenya as well as why peace has been elusive in Somalia, was a former Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Somalia, and a former Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Chrisland University, Abeokuta. He is currently chairman of the national NBA Anti-Corruption Committee and a consultant at Yintab Strategy Consults. He is the recipient of the 2025 Nelson Mandela Distinguished Africanist Award of the African Annual Conference at the University of Texas at Austin. He is decorated with Djibouti’s 27 Juin 1977 Order.
