The United States President, Donald Trump, has threatened the possibility of military action inside Nigeria, targeting Islamic Terrorists.

Immediate reaction to reports of this threat was dismissive. Not true. Cannot be. Fake news.

Within hours, it was confirmed by multiple sources. The Hill, a political website, quoted the US President as writing that: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,”

To show that the threat is not empty rhetoric, the US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth’s  response to his principal’s threat was to issue one of his own; “The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

Following persistent protestation and sustained campaign urging the US to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, that country has finally succumbed to the campaign and has now designated Nigeria as such. That designation empowers the US to act towards restoring order.

Nigeria has arrived at an unfortunate crossroads. Even if the US does not invade Nigeria, our country has attracted the scorn of the Commonwealth of Nations. Nigeria is being publicly advertised as a nation incapable of maintaining order.

 

This development has prompted varied reactions as expected. Within Nigeria, many are appalled at such a possibility. A few are jubilant, expecting a final end to the reign of terror.

Some have attempted to entertain us with arguments that not only Christians are being killed, that Muslims too are being killed. If it was meant to be a joke, it is not funny. Is the killing of anyone by any other person justified by any sane logic?

Is it okay for Muslims to kill Muslims, or Muslims to kill Christians? Is it right for Christians to kill Muslims, or for Christians to kill Christians? Have we descended so low in our humanity as to justify the killing of Christians on the grounds that Muslims are also being killed?

 

 

It is time we pull up our sleeves, accept our failure to do what is needed; not waiting to start philosophizing after a foreign country has proposed doing, within our borders, that which we ought to do by ourselves.

While condemning such a planned action, we should not fail to examine our involvement in facilitating our journey to these possibilities. All of us without exception; the governments at all levels that have failed in their primary duties of protecting the citizens; those parading themselves as governors, legislators, local government chairpersons, and councilors who draw all sorts of monetary and political entitlements while the people they represent sleep with one eye closed; our military, law enforcement agencies and  the multitude of agencies that parade ranks, intimidate citizenry, make promises, and do little to keep us safe;

we the people who continue to cast our votes, and put our trust in the hands of people who care less about us and do not even wish  well for us. We remain in collusion with our tormentors who rape us of our God-given resources and our dignity as a people.

Included also are some of our religious leaders who preach peace and love with the same mouths with which they dine and wine with looters and terrorists.

 It is unlikely that the US will invade Nigeria. It should be sufficient embarrassment that we are being seen in such light.

 

Ayo Fasoro

Non Sum Dignus