Nigeria and her citizens have been jolted to a rude awakening by the roaring of the lion in the White House. The hoopla was about the killing of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic jihadists whose activities over a decade have not been tamed by the Nigerian authorities. The classification of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by President Donald Trump and the attendant threat of a possible invasion is something we least expected.
Hitherto, killings by terrorists groups, including what is colloquially known as bandits, have gradually assumed a new normal in the country as the government and Nigerians have become benumbed by the frequency of bloodletting and excruciating abuses. Women and children have suffered untold hardships and abductions while ransom payments have rendered the people even poorer.
ACLED, an independent global conflict monitor, found that about 53,000 civilians – Muslims and Christians – have been reported killed in targeted political violence since 2009.
It also reported that between 2020 and September 2025, about 21,000 civilians were killed in abductions, attacks, sexual violence and the use of explosives.
A US Department of State Country Report of 2022 on Terrorism in Nigeria stated that attacks and kidnappings in the Northwest by criminal gangs, colloquially known as “bandits,” reportedly caused more civilian deaths in 2022 than did BH and ISIS-WA attacks in the Northeast.
The Nigerian Government had acted as if the situation has no solutions as government after governments have settled for rhetorics rather than a decisive action that would bring the wicked actors to justice.
Nigeria’s disgrace became even more visible with “peace negotiations” with the killers, as they brazenly attended peace meetings armed with rifles and ammunition reportedly stolen from raids of military installations. Nigeria’s state of helplessness became worrisome and many had suggested that the terrorists have sympathisers within the federal and state governments. There are even more disturbing insinuations that the terrorists have infiltrated top ranks of the military and other security forces. If these allegations are credible, then it will almost be impossible to win the war on terror in Nigeria.
Before now we have heard of repentant terrorists, who have renounced their evil acts and were reintegrated into the society after submitting large cache of arms . There were even debates at some point whether they could be integrated into the military. Analysts consider this an extreme manifestation of lack of prudence and a total disregard to the sensitivities of millions of victims of terrorism.
The dimension of the Fulani herders terrorism has made it even more complicated. Here, it seems state actors are unwilling to act. They are either confused as to how to classify this murderous group or are mixing the fears and sympathies with fellow Funalis in high places. This is a total confusion, and nothing peaceful will come out of it even with the continual killings and kidnapping they perpetrate across the country.
Enter Donal Trump. Puffed up as ever, “Guns-a-blazing,” roaring like a lion, commanding like a warrior, and disrespectfully spitting fire and shame on Nigeria – the famed Giant of Africa. We cannot stand and watch the President of the USA show so much disrespect for a sovereign state of Nigeria. We seem to have fallen so low to undergo such flagellation at the hands of another country.
But “is there not a cause?” We have failed to put out the fire that is burning over our roof because we are not serious about putting it off. A neighbour whose house could be lighted by our carelessness is concerned and is willing to help us put out the fire whether we like it or not. This is what recent melodrama portrays.
Hear Trump’s thunderous warning: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the United States will immediately stop all aids and assistance to Nigeria. We’re going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about. And we may well go into that disgraced country guns-a-blazing to completely wipe out these islamists terrorists who are committing these horrible, horrible atrocities.
”I am hereby directing the Department of War to prepare for possible action.If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attacking our cherished Christians! These are great people. Leave them alone, warning the Nigerian government , better move fast before it is too late. If they don’t move it will be hell to pay.”
Nigerian government, true to type, has been reactionary. We have laboured on defending the killings using the narrative of the equal number of Muslims and Christians killed in Nigeria by the jihadists. We are not so concerned that the killing of one person is something odd, let alone the killing of thousands. We have dissipated so much energy arguing whether there has been Christian genocide in Nigeria or not and while doing so, we have confirmed to the world that there have been serious killings in Nigeria of helpless Nigerians. The arguments have shown that we are truly hopeless and for a serious government, Trump’s threats should be a wake up call.
The most articulate and diplomatic response to Trump’s vituperation has been that offered by Dr Daniel Bwala,
the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu. Bwala describes the US as a partner of Nigeria. He acknowledged Trump’s zeal to help fight insurgency in the country, but suggested Trump should assist Nigeria with the needed equipment. He clearly said what others have been saying, but in more diplomatic format that could forestall any confrontation between Nigeria and the US.
The key takeaway from Bwala’s submissions in the interview with the BBC, is that it is all about fighting terrorism. If we can rise up to this challenge to defeat the terrorists once and for all, we would have succeeded in turning a potential disgrace into absolute victory over terrorism which has eluded Nigeria for decades. Bwala rejected US invasion of Nigeria, but offered collaboration between the two countries in the fight.
What is the President doing about this? There is no doubt that the government will be forced to take concrete action, not because it is willing, but because there is an imminent invasion by US military. For us, it would be a declaration of “international state of emergency in Nigeria.” There will be a temporary loss of sovereignty and a limitation of the President’s total control of Nigeria’s territory. That is a bitter pill we are not prepared to swallow.
This is how Tinubu sees it: “Do we have problems? Yes. Are we challenged by terrorism? Yes. But we will defeat terrorism. We will overcome the CPC designation. Nigeria is one happy family, and we shall spare no effort until we eliminate all criminals from our society. We want our friends to help us as we step up our fight against terrorism, and we will eliminate it.”
These lines are not new. It is the usual mouthing of the fight against terrorism. To accomplish the targets listed above, action must match rhetorics. This is not about whether Christians are persecuted or not, it is about unrestrained killings of Nigerians by terrorists, whether they be Muslims or Christians. None of it is acceptable. The arguments suggested that since there is a balance of the killings of Christians and Muslims, the US should mind its business. That argument will not hold sway anymore. We either stop the killings or face the consequences.
That we have to wait for the madness of Donald Trump to do what is sane for the good of our people, is a serious thumbs down for the Nigerian government and people. It shows we are not too far from being savages as in having total disregard for human lives. This is not who we are. This is not how to be the Giant of Africa.